


Sweet and Sunny

by Anxious_Octopus



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Eventual Smut, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Mentions of Drowning, Slow Burn, Vacation AU, character tags added as they appear
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-24
Updated: 2015-07-05
Packaged: 2018-03-25 13:54:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 42,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3813016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anxious_Octopus/pseuds/Anxious_Octopus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clarke takes a much needed vacation to Bora Bora, where her friend Octavia is working at a resort. There Clarke meets the resort's lifeguard, Lexa, and vows to have as much fun as she can have during her short stay. Fun turns to mischief and mischief turns to trouble as Clarke can't help but be drawn to Lexa, and Lexa finds herself breaking a lot of rules for Clarke.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Welcome to Paradise

Clarke found herself needing to do so many things lately. She needed to study for her pre-med exams, needed to move out of her ex-boyfriend’s apartment, needed to visit her mother, the list seemed endless. But more than anything Clarke needed a vacation, which is how she found herself booking the first flight to Bora Bora that she could find, packing her bags, and leaving everything behind.

Her plane landed in the tiny airport at the reasonable time of 4:55pm. However, jet-lagged as she was, it felt more like 3am as she groggily descended to stairs out of the plane and stumbled onto the tarmac. She was greeted by the blaring sun and intense humidity, and several locals who eagerly went to place multi-coloured leis around her neck. Despite her exhaustion, Clarke was excited. Excited to be away from home, the stress, the incessant feeling that she was missing something — no, she didn’t want to think further on it. She retrieved her bag and began looking for her longtime friend, Octavia. After all, it was more than the promise of blue water and eternal sunshine that convinced Clarke to make Bora Bora her destination. She couldn’t pass up the chance to visit Octavia, who was taking some time away from life (just like Clarke, only for a longer period) and was working at a five-star resort nearby. Octavia had been able to miraculously hook Clarke up with a discount on accommodations and had promised she wouldn’t be too busy with work to spend some time catching up with her friend.

The Bora Bora airport was on a narrow strip of island, and thereby right next to the water. Clarke quickly spotted Octavia near the docks and all but ran over to her.

“Hey Princess!” the girl called to Clarke, “long time, no see!”

Looking at her, it seemed that Octavia had changed so much from the girl Clarke had grown up with. Her long brown hair, once worn loose and untied, was now intricately braided in a way that gave her an air of ferocity. Her physique hadn’t changed much at first glance, she was still slender and shorter than average, however Clarke could see that Octavia had built some well-defined muscle in her arms and legs, as well as an impressive tan. Bora Bora had been good for her friend, Clarke thought. Hopefully it would be good for her too.

———

Bora Bora fascinated Clarke. Remnants of an ancient volcano made up the central island, which was surrounded by a barrier island on which the many resorts were nestled. She couldn’t help but wonder how it must’ve looked when first discovered. Just a tall mountain in the middle of the sea. _Who knew it could be so beautiful?_  she thought. Between the main island and the surrounding reef was a clear blue lagoon, calm and safe from the ocean currents. Clarke could see many boats, fishermen and tourists alike, exploring the water.

After a short boat ride to the resort, (but a seemingly endless tour), Clarke was finally shown to her accommodation by one of the personnel from the front desk. Octavia had had to leave Clarke once they’d docked the boat, as she had other duties to attend to before having the evening off. Clarke’s room wasn’t your average hotel suite, but rather she was led down a boardwalk form the main resort out to a collection of huts on stilts over the water. Her exhaustion vanished, replaced by excitement as she approached her destination. The resort staff member, a timid looking girl by the name of Maya, handed Clarke the key to hut #21, quickly summarized the location of the restaurant, workout facility, and activities centre, before excusing herself and leaving Clarke to explore her room on her own.

She opened the door and was stunned by the modest, yet lavish interior of her room. It was one big room, with a wall separating the bathroom and shower from the bedroom. There was a screen door at the back that led to a small deck, with a spiralling staircase down to the water. Best of all, there was a glass floor, allowing her to see down to the clear, bright blue water below.

Clarke dropped her bag on the bed and changed into her bikini, making her way to the deck. It wasn’t all that large, but there was enough room for a beach chair in which she made herself comfortable and reclined until she was laying almost completely back. As she settled in, she felt the familiar edge of despair creeping into her mind. She had broken up with her boyfriend Finn ( _ex-boyfriend now_ , she reminded herself) about three weeks ago, and she still thought of him often. Sitting alone and having too much time to think, whether she was in Bora Bora or back home, would be detrimental. She needed to get her mind off of him, but as she was sitting up to go get her book from inside her room, she heard a voice calling from the water.

“John, I’m sorry, but if you don’t put your life jacket back on, you will be asked to return to the resort immediately.”

Clarke searched for the owner of the voice, and saw a group of people nearby who were kayaking out in the lagoon near the huts. _They must be from our resort,_ Clarke thought to herself. Then she saw her, the owner of the commanding voice that had first caught her attention.

She was a girl probably a few years older than Clarke, with long brown hair and tanned skin that stood out against the girl’s white tank top and red shorts. Clarke couldn’t see the girl’s face very well, but from her seat on the deck she could just make out a tattoo snaking over her shoulder, presumably from her back. The blonde was also struck by the majesty of the girl, as the sun shone on her hair and reflected off of her silver aviators, Clarke couldn’t help but imagine sketching the view before her. A large red cross was imprinted on the front of the girl’s shirt, and she stood on a paddle board whereas the rest of the group around her sat in kayaks. The brunette held herself with a grace Clarke could only admire, given she was balancing expertly on her board while reaching with her paddle to smack a boy Clarke had to assume was John (the only one kayaking without of lifejacket) across his back.

“I said ‘lifejacket’ John, or else,” the girl threatened, her stern voice echoing across the bay.

Clarke figured the girl had to be one of the resort’s lifeguards. After a few more minutes of idling while the group waited for the boy named John to put his lifejacket on, they proceeded to kayak back towards the beach. With the momentary distraction gone, Clarke figured she should find something else to distract her from the imminent thoughts of Finn that were bound to return. Just then, there was a knock on her door. Clarke got up to see who it was, unsurprised when she opened the door to find Octavia grinning at her.

“I got off early!” She squealed.

“That’s awesome O, what should we do with your newfound freedom?” Clarke teased.

“Well, actually, there’s a bit of a party happening on the beach tonight, interested? And before you say no, it’s not a set up for you to meet a one night stand or something. I just think it’d be fun, you know?”

Clarke hesitated a moment. On the one hand, she really did want to spend time with Octavia, but she wasn’t sure if she was up for loud music and guys buying her drinks. _What’s the worst that could happen?,_ she thinks.

———

That was how Clarke found herself, a few hours later, walking half a step behind Octavia who was rambling about some guy named Lincoln as they made their way to the beach.

When they arrived, the party was already in full swing. There was a bar set up on the beach so that guests wouldn’t have to walk all the way up to the resort’s bar and could get hammered right there instead. There was also an area apparently designated as the dance floor, where people were pressed together with bass-fueled music pounding in the background. Clarke made a mental note to avoid that particular spot; she didn’t need any horny spring-breakers grinding against her.

As they reached the bar, Octavia ordered them each some kind of fruity beverage (Clarke missed the name, not like she cared, as long as it had alcohol in it). She sat down at a stool and proceeded to take in her surroundings. Her eyes scanned over the other patrons on the beach; younger people her age, looking to party. As Clarke continued her observation, her eyes fell on a familiar face in the throng of dancing bodies; the lifeguard from before. _Holy shit._

The brunette was absolutely gorgeous. Her brown hair was loose and wild, framing her face and accenting her cheekbones. Clarke was having trouble shutting her jaw as her eyes trailed down the girl’s body to her hips, swaying in time with the beat. The girl spun around as the music thrummed, her back now to Clarke. Thanks to her open backed shirt, the blonde could clearly see the black tribal tattoo that had peeked over her shoulder earlier. Clarke’s eyes followed it’s path from the girl’s shoulder down to the middle of her back. Clarke couldn’t help it as her eyes sunk lower, and she blushed when she realized she was staring at the girl’s ass.

It was, of course, at that exact moment that Octavia returned to the bar, catching Clarke in the act.

“Princess, are you staring?” Octavia asked, feigning shock. Clarke chose to ignore the comment.

“O, who is that?”

“That’s Lexa, one of the lifeguards here.” Octavia laughed. “Stop drooling Clarke, you’re embarrassing me,” she snickered.

The blonde swatted at her friend’s arm, then turned her attention to the bartender.

“Two tequila shots please,” she ordered. Octavia raised an eyebrow.

“Getting shit-faced tonight, are you?”

“I’m on vacation, I can drink if I like,” Clarke replied defensively.

“Of course you can, just please don’t drink for stupid reasons…” Octavia trailed off, suddenly serious. “Please don’t make reckless decisions because you’re still hurting over Finn.”

Annoyance bubbled up inside Clarke. “Don’t preach to me about being reckless, O. I haven’t forgotten how you wound up here yourself. You don’t hear me lecturing you about it,” she snapped.

Octavia was momentarily taken aback, but recovered quickly. Her mouth set in a tight line, but her eyes showed signs of hurt. “You’re right,” she muttered stiffly, “enjoy your tequila, Clarke, I’m going to wander a bit,” and she walked off.

Clarke immediately felt guilty as she watched her friend walk away. She knew Octavia was looking out for her, and she couldn’t deny that she had planned to drink away her feelings. The bartender brought her her shots, and she quickly downed them, not bothering with lime. It left a bitter taste in her mouth and didn’t quite satisfy, but she ordered another anyways. Her mood had turned sour alarmingly fast, and she was well on her way to spending the night on her bathroom floor sobbing.

Just as her third shot arrived, Clarke felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned, expecting Octavia.

“Look, Octavia, I’m sor— oh.”

There stood Lexa, eyes bright and a small smile playing at her lips.

“Expecting someone else?” She teased, and _oh god she’s hotter up close, is that even possible >_, Clarke thought.

“Uh… Well, I mean…,” Clarke stammered. _Smooth, Griffin._

Thankfully, Lexa rescued her from herself. “I saw you with Octavia and figured I would say hi, although she seems to have disappeared. Is she a friend of yours?”

“Huh?” Clarke struggled, still at a loss with Lexa in such close proximity. Her palms were suddenly very sweaty and she felt her stomach knotting. She realized she hadn’t answered the question. “Oh yeah, Octavia is a friend of mine. And yes, she did leave. She isn’t too happy with me at the moment… I’m Clarke by the way.”

Lexa flashed an apologetic smile at the news about Octavia, but it was quickly replaced with a mischievous grin. She looked at Clarke like she had already known her name before she spoke it, along with every secret Clarke had ever had. Her eyes glanced over the three empty shot glasses and other various empty glasses in Clarke’s vicinity. “Looks like you’re having a good enough time on your own,” she ribbed.

Clarke eyed the empty glasses, and looked back at the Lexa. The alcohol was finally setting in and it was the back-to-back tequila shots that made her say, “Maybe, but I think I’d have a better time with you. Want to dance?”

If Lexa was at all surprised by the sudden turn of events, she hid it well. “And here I thought I’d have to drag you up there. I’m Lexa,” she replied, reaching for Clarke’s hand and pulling her up off the stool. Clarke felt her face flush, but whether it was the liquor or touching Lexa, she couldn’t be sure.

Lexa pulled Clarke to the dance floor, which was really just a part of the beach people had set aside. Clarke tried not to think about the way Lexa’s hand felt in hers, the grip strong and sure, guiding her through the throng of bodies. She couldn’t help but stumble, the alcohol kicking in full force, but the brunette’s steady hand kept her from face planting into the sand.

They reached an opening in the crowd where the least amount of sweaty bodies might smother them. A new song was starting to play, it was slower, more sensual and bass-driven than the previous tracks of the night. Lexa spun so that she was facing Clarke, and guided the hand she’d been holding to her hip. Clarke’s breath caught in her throat, she felt her face flush. Lexa seemed undisturbed by her hesitation to follow suit with her other hand, and placed Clarke’s hand there herself. Clarke was hyperaware of every movement of Lexa’s body; the sway of her hips, and the pressure it caused on Clarke’s palms, not to mention the roll of her shoulders and the way her eyes lingered on Clarke’s.

Any notion of personal space was thrown out the window as Lexa looped a hand around the blonde’s neck and pulled her closer. Clarke’s body was on fire, and she was sure Lexa could feel the heat radiating off of her.

“You’re too tense.” The brunette’s voice was low and husky in Clarke’s ear. _Is she trying to turn me on?_ Clarke was trying to resist the urge to press even closer to the girl, to slip a leg between hers and turn their dancing into something slightly more dangerous. She shivered at the thought.

“I- I haven’t been dancing in a while,” Clarke managed, “plus, you’ve caught me after three tequila shots, who’s to say I’m even able to stand without you?”

The girl trailed her fingers up Clarke’s arm. “Not a problem. I wasn’t planning to let you go.” Her breathe tickled Clarke’s ear. Heat was building between Clarke’s legs, pressure building below her stomach. _This alcohol is making me really horny_ , she tried to convince herself, knowing full well it was Lexa doing these things to her.

“I-uh, I like your tattoo,” Clarke choked out. Lexa flashed her a cocky grin.

“Mmm which one?”

“You have more than just the one on your back?

“A few, some are just better hidden.” Clarke blushed at the thought of where those others might be, exactly.

“Well the one of your back is amazing.” Clarke’s voice was becoming more confident, but it all vanished after she heard herself say, “I would love to sketch them.”

“An artist, are you?” Lexa replied, cocking and eyebrow. _Oh for fuck’s sakes_ , Clarke thought, and she felt the heat grow between her legs. “I’ll have to show you the others then, only that would require some privacy for sure..,” she trailed off suggestively. Clarke blushed, looking away from Lexa’s knowing gaze.

Instead, Clarke let her eyes wander. She trailed them down the girl’s neck, admiring her collarbones before eyeing the muscles of her shoulders and arms. Clarke couldn’t help but lift a hand and rest it on Lexa’s shoulder, just to feel her skin. _Maybe 3 tequila shots was too much _, she wonders, as she slowly drags her fingers from Lexa’s shoulder to her chest, stopping with her fingers ghosting over the girl’s sternum.__

She looked up in time to see Lexa smirking before closing the gap between them. Clarke didn’t have time to react. She didn’t have time to lick her lips (she’s pretty sure they’re really dry) and she didn’t have time to object (she didn’t want to anyways), before Lexa moves in to kiss her.

What there is apparently time for, is for Octavia to appear out of nowhere and pull Clarke back from the brunette, and not gently.

”Clarke! I found you, finally!” The girl slurred.

Clarke turned around and glared at her friend. She wants to yell at her, give her a piece of her mind, ask her what the hell she was thinking because couldn’t she see she was kind of busy. But Clarke realizes that Octavia is drunk, and any scene she might cause wouldn’t be worth it.

Instead, Clarke turned back to look at Lexa, who didn’t look pleased at all. The brunette was openly glaring at Octavia, but she quickly turned her glare into a smirk as her eyes fall back on Clarke.

”It was nice… dancing with you, Clarke. May we meet again,” she said, before slipping away into the crowd.

 _Well that was mysterious. And so fucking hot_ , Clarke thought, before turning her attention to Octavia who was still pulling her away from the dance floor.

“Octavia, hey, I’m right here. You don’t need to have such a death grip on me.”

“Oh, really? Are you sure you won’t run back to Lexa if I let go?” She responded, perfectly coherent.

Clarke stopped in her tracks. “You aren’t drunk.” It wasn’t a question.

“No, Clarke, I’m not drunk, but you are,” Octavia rounded on her. “You will probably be mad at me for this but please remember I’m just trying to look out for-“

“Octavia, what is your deal?! Why won’t you just let me have some fun.” Clarke was furious. _Lexa had been right there, about to kiss me. She was so gorgeous and the perfect distraction_.

“Because I know you, Clarke. I know that you think you’re being all tough and emotionless since the break-up with Finn-“

“How dare you-“

“But you aren’t, ok. I’m sorry, but I’m trying to be a good friend.”

“By dictating who I can spend my night with?”

“So you admit you were going to sleep with her?” Octavia didn’t look triumphant as she said it. She looked nervous.

“I… Well, who knows where the night would’ve gone,” Clarke stuttered in response. It wasn’t that she had been consciously thinking about more than dancing with Lexa, but now that it was brought to light, it became apparent that she would not have said no had the girl initiated something more.

“Clarke, look, I’m sorry for dragging you away,” Octavia replied sincerely, “but I don’t want to see you get hurt. Maybe some ‘you’ time would be a good thing, you know?”

Clarke yanked her hand out of Octavia’s grasp. She was done having this conversation. “I’m going to bed. I don’t need you to chaperone me. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She stalked away from her friend angrily, leaving Octavia standing alone on the beach.

 _The nerve…_ , Clarke fumed as she made her way back to her room. _I’m a fucking adult, I can do as I damn well please_. She stumbled a bit in the sand, blaming it on the inconsistent surface as opposed to the alcohol. Her thoughts trailed back to Lexa, the way the girl had smiled at her like she knew Clarke’s thoughts. Clarke wanted to be near her again.

A plan was forming in her mind as she continued her on her way unsteadily. _She’s a lifeguard, so she probably supervises the water activities and excursions_. The gears in Clarke’s head were turning, and the alcohol was fuelling it more than she liked to admit. _I think tomorrow I’ll go kayaking. If Lexa is supervising, well, what a lucky coincidence… Maybe a few days from now snorkelling would be fun_. Her plan was formed, and she knew it was far from perfect, but she was on vacation to have fun, and something told her that being around Lexa would be the best kind of fun she could have.


	2. 4pm breakfast, 6'o clock drinks?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke's first full day in Bora Bora gets off to a late start after the beach party.

Clarke woke up the next day with a vicious headache. She glanced at the clock next to her bed: 2:04pm. _Damn_. She groaned as she rolled over, and debated falling back asleep when she heard a knock at her door. _Probably housekeeping… should’ve put a sign on my door last night_ , she thought. _Last night_. It was a bit fuzzy and she was still working out the details, but she remembered a lot of drinking, dancing with Lexa (who could forget that), and being really annoyed at-

“Clarke Griffin, would you just open your damn door!”

 _Octavia._ Clarke very much did not want to get out of bed. She knew that when she stood up, what was currently a throbbing pain in her temples would quickly evolve into a pummelling attack on her severely dehydrated brain. But she also knew that she had to fix things with Octavia. Their friendship had survived worse fights, not to mention it spanned half an ocean. So, begrudgingly, she pulled herself out of bed and hobbled to the door.

As she opened the door, she was met with Octavia’s harsh glare. But, upon seeing her friend’s pitiful condition, the girl softened.

“You look like a train wreck. Or like you spent the night in a dumpster.”

“Thank you for your honesty,” Clarke replied. An awkward silence fell between the two. Clarke broke it first.

“Octavia, I just wanted to apologize for last night. I’m sorry I was such a dick.”

Octavia rolled her eyes. “You weren’t a dick, you were drunk. A drunk dick. All useless and floppy like-“

“Please stop,” Clarke cut in. The two stared at each other for a moment, until both broke into fits of laughter.

“Shouldn’t you be working or something?” Clarke asked, once she managed to get her laughing under control.

“Trying to get rid of me again?” Octavia said, feigning shock. “It hasn’t even been a day since you last tried.”

Clarke playfully punched her in the shoulder. “You know what I mean. It's like the middle of the afternoon.”

“I was on duty this morning, early shift ferrying guests inland or to the airport, and I’ll probably have to ferry some around again later, but for now I’ve got a break. Figured I’d stop by and see how incredibly hungover you were. I was not disappointed,” she finished, looking Clarke up and down.

“Ugh. Okay, will you escort me somewhere I can eat my weight in waffles. A Denny’s, perhaps?”

“Yeah there’s a restaurant at the resort that serves breakfast all-day. Can you please shower first? I have to be seen with you,” the girl teased.

Clarke just shrugged and retreated inside her room. Octavia settled herself on the bed while Clarke took a shower. While the blonde was getting dressed and ready for the day, Octavia rambled some more about Lincoln. She had to start from the very beginning because Clarke couldn’t recall a word Octavia had said about him the night before.

“He’s a staff member we hired on not too long ago. He works maintenance, so we don’t cross paths a whole lot since I mostly work with guests, but he runs by my employee dorm every morning. Clarke, I swear, he is like a greek god. Perfectly sculpted by Zeus himself.” Clarke rolled her eyes. “Plus, he’s the sexy, silent type. Doesn’t say much, but just looking in his eyes is like a conversation of its own.”

“Have you ever even talked to him? Spent any time with him? Sounds like if you don’t soon, you might explode,” Clarke joked.

“Hey, I stare longingly from a distance. Sometimes I say ‘hi’ and he nods at me… Okay so it’s a bit of a work in progress,” Octavia admitted. “But one day, Griffin, when he and I are holding hands or making out in front of you, you will remember this conversation and think ‘if only I had faith in Octavia’s irresistible charms, I would’ve seen this coming.’”

Clarke laughed. “O, I don’t doubt your irresistible charms. I just think in order for them to have their full effect, they require more than just a longing stare and occasional ‘hello’.”

Clarke finished getting dressed and eagerly made her way out the door, Octavia in tow. The sun was high in the sky and Clarke was instantly roasting in the heat, glad for her tank top and shorts. Her friend led her down the boardwalk to the main resort, still chatting idly about Lincoln. Clarke caught the occasional comment about “mouthwatering biceps” and “rippling pectorals” but mostly she was focused on the thought of food. Her headache had subsided but her stomach was growling incessantly.

As they approached the resort, Clarke noticed a familiar long-haired brunette leaning against one of the palm trees in the area. Her breathe caught in her throat as more vivid memories of the previous night came to mind. _Dancing, touching, almost kissing… oh wow._

Sure enough, Lexa was standing there, all beautiful tan and intimidating posture. She had her arms crossed and a scowl on her face. Clarke believed people looked more attractive when smiling, but she might’ve finally met someone to challenge that notion. Not that Clarke wanted Lexa to be unhappy, but something about the set of her jaw and the shape of her lips in that moment made Clarke very glad she could blame her red face on the heat of the midday sun. She couldn’t, however, fool Octavia.

“You’re drooling again,” the girl pointed out. “Please don’t make me pull you away like I did last night.”

“I didn’t make you do anything last night,” Clarke ground out, trying to lower her voice as they drew closer to passing the lifeguard.

“Ugh. You two were grinding all over each other, it was gross.”

Before Clarke had the chance to offer her retort, Lexa turned to face them, and her scowl broke into a grin.

“Look who it is,” she said teasingly. Clarke felt her heart stutter as she was reminded of how naturally stunning Lexa was. _Lincoln isn’t the only one who could’ve been a gift from some higher divinity. How are people like this even real?_

The lifeguard made no move from her post against the tree, content to simply watch Octavia and Clarke draw near. “I’m surprised you’re awake so early, Clarke.” She enunciated the ‘k’ which did terrible things to Clarke’s already hectic heart.

“Just another day in paradise,” she quipped, hoping she came off as confident as she felt. Octavia’s snicker said otherwise.

“Hey Lex, we’re just getting some breakfast,” Clarke’s friend chimed in, and Clarke didn’t hesitate to notice the way Lexa’s scowl returned momentarily at the use of the nickname. “I believe you two have already been introduced,” Octavia added, a grin on her face.

“Oh, I remember,” was all Lexa said, her eyes raking Clarke from head to toe. Clarke felt a shiver up her spine from the brunette’s intense gaze. Lexa seemed to realize what she was doing a moment later, however, because she hastily brought her eyes to Clarke’s face (where they remained) and said, “Do you mind if we start again? My behaviour last night was inappropriate. I had too much to drink and wasn’t myself.”

“Oh no, it was great!” Clarke exclaimed, before she realized what was coming out of her mouth. “I mean, like, I wasn’t uncomfortable or anything. People just- they just get drunk sometimes, you know, and when they do, it’s like-“

“Okay!” Octavia said loudly, interrupting Clarke’s quest to embarrass herself further. “So we’ll be on our way then. Enjoy your shift, Lexa.”

The brunette hummed at her absentmindedly, already occupied by some sort of trouble a pair of boys were causing in the water. Octavia continued to pull Clarke along behind her in the direction of the restaurant.

Clarke still had her head turned, gazing dazedly at Lexa, when Octavia started teasing her. “Honestly, why do I even hangout with you?” She huffed in mock frustration. “You’re so embarrassing.”

“She certainly seems different sober…,” Clarke mused, before turning to face her friend. “You don’t hangout with me, remember? That was half my reason for coming here.”

“True,” Octavia admitted, as they entered the restaurant. _Finally,_ Clarke thought, and her stomach rumbled in agreement. “Speaking of which, let’s talk about that other half, shall we?” Octavia steered Clarke towards a table on the patio. They each ordered breakfast foods despite it being mid-afternoon, and although Octavia offered to buy drinks, Clarke settled for water.

“So…,” Octavia drawled, waiting for Clarke to spill all her deep and dark secrets, no doubt.

“So. Where to begin? Um, well, Finn and I are done,” Clarke paused, preparing for Octavia’s victory celebration. The girl had always despised Clarke’s boyfriend, even from afar. To her credit, Octavia merely broke into a wide grin and insisted Clarke give her a high five before ushering her to continue her story.

“So that’s happened. What else…”

“Hold up, you aren’t going to give a girl any details on the bitter breakup?”

 _I’d rather not._ The breakup had been hard. Finn and Clarke had been through a lot together and saying goodbye to someone was always difficult. She didn’t really feel like reliving the details again but she indulged Octavia nonetheless.

“Ugh, fine. Long story short, he cheated on me.”

Octavia gasped. “For real?”

“Yeah, but also apparently _I_ was the other woman because the girl thought that she and Finn were dating and he was cheating on her with me.” Clarke sighed. The fight they’d had after she’d found out had been horrible. The worst part was that Finn didn’t even defend himself, he just kept begging her not to go.

“Well, who got there first?” Octavia asked. She must’ve seen Clarke’s confusion because she clarified, “who started seeing him first? She’d technically have the right to call the other girl ‘the other woman’.”

Clarke didn’t want to think about that again. It had been her, by that definition, that was the ‘other woman’.

“We didn’t talk about it. I never asked,” Clarke lied easily.

“Hmph. Well I’m glad you kicked him to the curb, Princess. What a loser.”

Clarke cracked a smile. “Thanks, O.”

Their food arrived shortly after. Clarke’s stack of eight waffles and the ludicrous ‘every-filling-no-exceptions’ omelette Octavia had requested kept them from talking for a little while. Both girls were ravenous and happy to just shovel food into their mouths without feeling the need to punctuate it with speaking.

Once they were done, they both sat back contentedly and enjoyed the sunshine. Clarke thought it must’ve been nearly 4 o’ clock, but the sun was still high in the sky. _I could get used to this_ , and she sighed happily. Her mind was empty of all the things that usually tormented her, it was wonderful. In fact, the only thing she couldn’t seem to get out of her mind was-

“Octavia, what do you know about Lexa? What’s she like?”

Octavia was also leaning back in her chair, eyes closed and face to the sun. She raised an eyebrow and grinned knowingly.

“Why do you ask, Clarkey?”

“You know I hate that nickname.”

Octavia ignored her comment. “Are you hoping for another sexy dance with her like last night’s?”

Clarke shook her head in response. “You heard her on the beach, we’re starting over. She just seems cool, okay? I’d like to get to know her.”

Clarke was sure Octavia’s eyebrow couldn’t arch any higher, but she managed it somehow, as she laughed. “Who are you trying to convince, Clarke? Me, or you?”

“You’re a shit. Can you just tell me about her?” Clarke grumbled.

“I don’t know much about her at all,” Octavia shrugged.

“Bullshit. You’ve been working here-“ Clarke did the math quickly in her head “for at least 6 months. Is she new or something?”

“Definitely not. Lexa’s been here longer than anyone, except maybe the owners.”

Clarke grinned triumphantly. “So you do know things about her.” Octavia rolled her eyes.

“Barely, but I’ll try to humour you. Hmm…,” the girl trailed off, appearing deep in thought. “Okay, well first off she’s hardly ever friendly. She doesn’t really interact with many of the other people here, at least from what I can tell. She’s more the lone wolf type.”

Clarke had trouble believing that from what she’d seen of Lexa so far. She’d boldly approached her at the beach party, flirted (at least Clarke thought it was flirting) with her shamelessly and had danced like she hadn’t cared who might be watching. Then earlier on the beach she’d been the one to initiate their awkward momentary small talk.

Octavia seemed to read her mind because she said, “I know what you’re thinking, and believe me, I am surprised at the social butterfly Lexa’s been lately. And by ‘lately’ I mean the past 24 hours that you’ve been here, of course.” Clarke blushed at that. “It was a pretty big deal for her to be at the party. She never joins those.”

“Well. I’m glad she went to that one.” _And picked me, of all people, to dance with_.

“Of course you are,” Octavia teased. “Sorry I ruined your chance at hooking up with the hot lifeguard, because it’s unlikely she’ll make an appearance at a party again anytime soon.”

“Oh that’s okay,” Clarke shrugged. “I’m over it. Plus I’ll just see her elsewhere around the resort instead. She supervises water activities, doesn’t she?”

“Clarke, if this another one of your terrible plans-“

“I will take that as a yes!” Clarke declared victoriously. “So if she’s the ‘lone wolf’ type, would you say she’s also the sexy, silent type?” Clarke asked innocently, teasing Octavia for her earlier fawning over Lincoln.

Octavia groaned. “Oh shush. And no, she’s more of the silent, tear-your-beating-heart-out-with-her-bare-hands type. Come on, let’s go do something or… something,” she finished lamely, getting up and preparing to leave. “It’s already 4:30, I’ve probably only got about another half hour before I’m back on the job.”

As the two girls walked back down the beach, Clarke again spotted Lexa near the palm trees. This time, the girl looked even more disgruntled than before. Her perfect eyebrows were furrowed, her eyes glaring at the sand, and her teeth were clenched, judging by the determined set of her jaw. Clarke also couldn’t fail to notice that Lexa’s hands were in fists, which was making the muscles along the length of her arms tighten, which in turn was making Clarke hyperventilate.

But Clarke didn’t want to miss out on the rest of her day with Octavia. She knew the girl was busy and that she might not get much time off in the next couple of days. Clarke had booked one week off to come to Bora Bora, and she wanted to make the most of her time there, including time with Octavia. So she refrained from calling out to Lexa.

Much to her surprised, however, Octavia did it for her.

“Lexa, hey!”

Lexa looked up, hearing her name. She didn’t immediately brighten up upon seeing them like she’d done earlier, but her muscles relaxed and her deep scowl became a slightly less miserable frown.

“Hello again,” she replied tightly.

“Is everything alright, Lexa?” Clarke asked. _Idiot, that was so forward_ , she immediately chastised herself. _She probably doesn’t want to talk to you, seeing as how you’re a complete stranger._ She remembered what Octavia had said earlier about Lexa being the ‘lone wolf’ type. _Or she probably doesn’t want to talk to anyone._

“No,” Lexa grunted, to both other girls’ surprise. Clearly Octavia hadn’t been expecting her to admit anything either. “I had a shitty shift. Lots of belligerent kids with moronic parents, to say the least. Fuck,” she ran a hand through her wild hair, the action alone enough to make Clarke’s breathe catch in her throat, “I could use a drink.”

Clarke opened her mouth before she could stop herself, but froze at the last second to glance at Octavia. Seeming to know where this was going, Octavia just waved her hand at Clarke in a kind of ‘do your thing’ way, and Lexa, watching the interaction, raised her eyebrow in silent inquiry.

“Drinks on me, then?” Clarke offered.

Lexa appeared taken back for a moment, but her calm demeanour slipped quickly back into place. For a second, Clarke was worried the girl would refuse. _She’s a ‘lone wolf’, she probably doesn’t want to be with anyone after a shitty day, she probably would rather curl up and watch Netflix. I mean, I would.”_ But to her surprise, Lexa nodded.

“Sure, how does 6 o’ clock sound? I just need to shower.”

Clarke was momentarily distracted by the thought of Lexa showering, but she recovered quickly. “Yeah! I mean, that’d be great. Awesome. Okay,” she finished awkwardly. _I am going to slap myself, this is ridiculous_.

“See you later then,” Lexa said in dismissal as she began to walk away, in the opposite direction of Clarke’s hut. Octavia whistled. “That was smooth,” she said, and Clarke couldn’t tell if she was teasing or serious. They continued walking towards Clarke’s room, all the while Octavia teased her about her ‘date’, which Clarke argued that it “most certainly was not”.

Her mind was buzzing as they reached her room, her nerves finally settling in. _It’s just drinks. Just a friendly hangout for drinks. Except that we aren’t even friends_ , Clarke realized. _We’re essentially strangers. Meeting at a bar. This is more like a blind date than a friendly hangout. Ugh, what have I gotten myself into?_ she thought, as Octavia started rummaging through Clarke’s still packed suitcase, trying to find an outfit for her not-date with Lexa.


	3. Backstories and Bad Ideas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> lexa and clarke go for drinks, and decide to do something about octavia's crush on lincoln.

At 6 o’ clock Clarke found herself walking up to the main bar of the resort, still wondering what in the hell she was doing. _It’s just a drink. Just get to know her. Just be cool._ Cool was about the last thing Clarke thought she’d be over the course of the evening. Awkward, nervous, continuously turned on by Lexa’s toned arms and wicked grin, were a few of the things she did predict.

As she approached the bar, she was suddenly very nervous. _What if there are other bars? What if I’m at the wrong bar? We never specified what bar,_ she panicked.

Her concerns were unfounded, however, as moments later Lexa walked up behind her.

“Hello, Clarke,” she greeted politely. Clarke, entirely unprepared for the girl to appear behind her, spun around, eyes wide. As soon as she realized who it was she tried to pull herself together and offered the girl a shy smile.

“Hi Lexa…,” she murmured, looking the girl up and down. Lexa was beautiful, as always, and was dressed in simple cut off shorts and a forest green tank top that accented her eyes. Green. Clarke had noticed them the first time they’d met up close. _Because I’m an artist, and interested in that kind of thing_ , she told herself. “You look stunning.”

Lexa raised her eyebrows and Clarke was worried her big mouth would push Lexa away, but the girl smoothly replied, “As do you,” before gesturing for Clare to lead the way.

Clarke hid her blush and looked around for a place to sit. In the end, they ended up on the patio. It was so nice out, why not be outside. They sat down at a table for two, and Lexa let out a relived sigh.

“So, long day?” Clarke asked.

“Yeah. It’s just frustrating sometimes, dealing with people. I’m not a people person.” Lexa looked up at Clarke as she continued talking. “Which probably sounds stupid coming from a lifeguard, right? I have to deal with people on a daily basis, maybe save a life here or there.”

“Sometimes our jobs don’t line up with our personalities, it’s pretty normal,” Clarke shrugged, hoping she wasn’t sounding too condescending. Lexa smirked in response.

“Sounds like there’s a story there,” she probed.

Clarke didn’t usually talk about her personal life. Talking to Octavia about Finn had been part of the ‘friend code’ after a breakup, but she had no obligation to tell Lexa anything about her life. But something about the girl made her want to. Whether it was the genuine curiosity in her eyes or the way her voice put Clarke at ease, she found herself wanting to open up to Lexa. She wanted to tell her everything, from her biggest fears to her most passionate aspirations.

“Well, maybe a bit,” Clarke let on with a grin. “I’m studying to go to med school, but I’m more the artistic type. Med school is more of my mother’s wish than mine.”

Lexa nodded in understanding. “Yes, I seem to remember someone offered to sketch my tattoos,” she joked. Clarke blushed deeply at that. _Oh god, I’d entirely forgotten about that._

“Um. Yeah, well,” Clarke toyed with her napkin sheepishly. “I mean, the offer still stands.”

Lexa seemed surprised at that. _Maybe she thought I only said it because I was drunk_. “I kind of thought that was a drunken offer,” the brunette responded, reading Clarke’s mind. Clarke thought she saw some red colouring Lexa’s cheeks as well.

“Nope, it was 100% serious.”

“Well, I think I’d like that. Sometime.” Lexa looked down at her lap, apparently embarrassed. _Who knew this sexy lifeguard wasn’t so stone-cold._

“Anyways,” Clarke continued. “Med school was mom’s idea so now I’m doing that. But I escaped here for a bit, much to her displeasure.”

“A little rebellion never hurt anyone,” Lexa responded with a wink. _Fuck that’s hot,_ Clarke thought, crossing her legs in an attempt to relieve some of the pressure building there. Just then their drinks arrived. They both took a few sips, enjoying an easy silence, before Clarke thought to try to better acquaint herself with the girl across from her.

“Is that what brought you here?” she asked, a flirtatious tone underlying her sincere curiosity.

Lexa’s smile faltered, but she answered nonetheless. “Not quite,” she murmured, sadness colouring her words. “Let’s just say I came here to escape some things too.”

Clarke knew not to push it, and instead tried a different approach.

“Octavia says you’ve been here longer than anyone,” she offered.

“I have.” Pause. Lexa’s eyes were focused on her hands in her lap.

 _Please don’t shut down on me_. Clarke could see it happening. She barely even knew this girl. Why should she expect her to divulge all her little secrets?

“I… came here about 5 years ago,” Lexa looked up at Clarke. “I was looking for work and I had very little money. No money, really, so I knew before hand that it was going to be a one way trip.” Lexa was beginning to relax, and maybe it was the alcohol, but a tiny part of Clarke hoped it was Lexa becoming more comfortable around her.

“Wow, that’s pretty ballsy of you.” Lexa smiled at Clarke’s comment.

“It didn’t feel ballsy at the time. It felt desperate, like my last resort. But it made me strong.” Lexa smiled ruefully. “Strength comes at a cost though…”

Clarke couldn’t imagine what it must’ve been like to come here with nothing. No plan, no money, just a hope and a desire to escape. She’d come here with the latter half of that equation and she had still been anxious about it. Sitting across from Lexa, though, her fears faded away and she felt untouchable, on an island in the middle of the ocean.

“I managed to find work here and the owner of the resort took me in. I’ve been here longer than anyone else because I’m the closest thing the owner has to a daughter,” Lexa explained.

“That was generous of him to-”

“Her,” Lexa interjected politely. “Indra, she’s basically family.”

Clarke smiled at the woman across from her. She was feeling good about the evening so far. Lexa wasn’t as stoic and stony as she’d expected (Octavia did tend to exaggerate), and she felt at ease around the brunette. She had managed to push most of her attraction to the girl aside for the time being, content to simply get to know her as a person, maybe a friend. Clarke had to be realistic: she was there for just under a week, it wasn’t worth it to become invested in anyone emotionally. Not to mention she’d recently gotten out of a relationship and definitely wants ready for that. But she also wanted to use this opportunity to get to know new people and learn about them, just for a new perspective on life.

Just then Lexa called out across the bar, “Lincoln!”

Clarke turned to see the man whom Lexa had called to, and she was surprised to discover that Octavia had, for once, not exaggerated much at all.

He certainly looked like the silent type, his jaw clenched and his hands in his pockets. Nothing about his body language suggested he wanted to start a conversation, yet Lexa could not be refused. She waved him over, and as he drew closer Clarke understood how Octavia might stare longingly from a distance at the man. He was tall, and his shoulders and arms well defined with muscle. He was disciplined and confident, that much was clear with the way he held himself as he walked over to the girls. He didn’t look prideful or cocky, and Clarke thought that might’ve been another reason why Octavia was so attracted to him. That girl had enough bad experiences with arrogant pricks like the kind from home. Clarke made a mental note not to start thinking about Finn.

Once Lincoln reached their table, Lexa introduced him.

“Lincoln, this is Clarke. Clarke, meet Lincoln. He works maintenance here.”

 _I know,_ she was tempted to reply. . But instead, she just nodded and extended her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

They shook hands while Lexa began to make conversation with her coworker. She asked him about his day, to which he sort of just shrugged, grunted, and mumbled something about carrying a lot of kayaks.

“Did you go to the beach party last night?” Lexa asked, apparently satisfied with her knowledge of Lincoln’s day.

“Yeah, it was a good time. I heard word that you made an appearance…,” he trailed off, not quite phrasing it as a question but clearly looking for some kind of explanation.

Clarke couldn’t be sure but she thought she saw Lexa frown. _Did she not enjoy the party? Maybe she is regretting dancing with me?_ “Yes, I was… apparently in the mood to dance,” she replied, a small grin returning to her face as she made eye contact with Clarke. “The party is where I met Clarke, actually.”

Lincoln’s face lit up, and he smiled wide. Clarke would’ve been shocked at the sudden change in his behaviour if she hadn’t been too preoccupied by what came out of his mouth next.

“Hey, well it’s about time!” He punched Lexa lightly on the shoulder. “You’re always moping about and I’m always saying meeting a nice girl would be good for you after-“

“It’s not like that,” Lexa cut him off. Her voice was emotionless but her eyes were wide, staring up at Lincoln, begging him to stop talking. He seemed to realize he’d made a mistake because he suddenly looked very guilty and began apologizing profusely.

“I’m so sorry.” He looked from Clarke to Lexa and back to Clarke again, before quickly wishing Lexa a goodnight and hurrying off. Lexa let out a heavy sigh and looked at Clarke apologetically.

“I’m sorry about that-“

“No, it’s cool,” Clarke replied quickly, and maybe a little too eagerly. _So that kind of confirms that she’s into girls, right? I mean the dancing and flirting could’ve just been the alcohol last night but now it’s official,_ she thought, and tried to keep her emotions at bay. Now was not the time for ulterior motives, not when she was enjoying Lexa’s company just as a friend. She would try to get to know the girl first, before seeing if maybe a short vacation fling was an option. _No, damnit. Stop thinking that._

“He’s a great friend, but a little pushy,” Lexa explained. “Thinks I should be more emotionally available.”

Just then, Clarke had another one of her brilliant (and probably irresponsible) ideas.

“Friends like to think they know what’s best for us, especially when it comes to our relationships. Speaking of which-” Lexa stiffened, and her eyes went wide. Clarke called her out on it, “Oh relax, this is about Octavia. So anyways, I was thinking maybe we could play a little Matchmaker. Octavia has been drooling over Lincoln for weeks if not months…. any chance he’d want to maybe go out with her?”

Lexa frowned slightly, thinking. “Octavia is great, Clarke, but she’s also loud and wild and unreserved, which is sort of the opposite of Lincoln.”

“Maybe you don’t know him as well as you think. Maybe he just needs to be with the right person for that wild side to come out. I mean, from what I’ve heard of you, you’re usually aloof and reserved around here but that’s definitely not the Lexa I met last night-“ Lexa opened her mouth but Clarke just kept going “-the Lexa I met last night was sexy and unfazed by the world and apparently that never happened until I got here,” Clarke paused, before adding, “So… you know, maybe the same could be said for Lincoln.”

Lexa raised her eyebrows. “Clarke,” Clarke’s stomach dropped at the way Lexa said her name, “are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?”

_That last night there was definitely something between us. That that something could’ve easily become something more had Octavia not intervened. That you and I are fucking hot together._

“What is it you think I’m suggesting?” Clarke replied teasingly.

Lexa’s eyes darted to Clarke’s lips. She let out a shaky breathe before she said, “Are you suggesting we set up our friends with each other?”

Clarke was. But that wasn’t what she’d wanted to hear. Still, she nodded enthusiastically.

“Yes! Pleeeeeaaaase, Lexa?”

“Ugh, fine,” the brunette replied, rolling her eyes before grinning. “Octavia might not be my first choice, but I’m not afraid to be proven wrong. I think Lincoln would benefit from being around someone so… outgoing. What did you have in mind?”

“Well, honestly I only came up with this idea a few minutes ago, so I don’t have anything solid yet, but something that involves them meeting accidentally and then totally falling in love.”

Lexa laughed and Clarke’s heart might’ve stopped at the sound of it.

“Clarke, that’s usually how these things work,” Lexa teased.

“Yeah, yeah, so I don’t have much of a plan.”

“How about at the next beach party we push them together on the dance floor?” Lexa offered.

“No, no, too easy. Come on, Lexa, we’ve gotta get creative!”

“I’m worried I’ve unleashed a monster by agreeing to this,” the brunette joked. “You seem to be very passionate about this.”

“I’m a planner, I like to make plans,” Clarke explained. “And when I make a plan like this, I like to make it extravagant. So come on, let’s brainstorm!”

Clarke’s exhaustion from her hangover that morning had completely melted away, and Lexa’s irritation about her work day had faded from her mind. As the two girls animatedly discussed potential ideas to push their friends together, their bodies gravitated towards each other. Where Clarke had been sitting politely with her hands in her lap, she now was gesturing wildly, her face lit up. Lexa, who had been leaning back in her chair, was now leaning in towards Clarke, her eyes excited and her laughter frequent.

After a while, they both agreed that they would make their plan the next day, sober and rested. 6’o clock drinks had turned into dinner ( _still not a date_ , Clarke assured herself), and the sun had just retreated beyond the horizon as the girls finished up. They paid their bills and got ready to leave. Clarke wasn’t sure how the four empty cocktail glasses had gotten in front of her, but she left the bar with a pleasant buzz and a smile on her face. She and Lexa parted ways at the boardwalk, each wishing the other a pleasant night.

“How will we make our plans, I can’t text you to meet up or anything!” Clarke called out as Lexa was walking away.

“Bora Bora is a small island, Clarke, I’m sure we’ll bump into each other,” the brunette replied with a wink, before turning around and disappearing down the path.

Clarke walked happily back to her room, a spring in her step despite the fact she should’ve been dead tired. When she got into her room she made straight for the screen door at the back, moving out onto the deck. It was getting dark quickly now that the sun had set, and the stars were coming out. Clarke settled herself on the beach chair, and reclined so she was flat on her back.

She stared into the sky, all the while her brain still thinking of potential ways to set up Lincoln and Octavia. As fatigue started to seep back into Clarke’s mind, thoughts of Lincoln and Octavia faded away, replaced with Lexa and herself. Instead of Lincoln rescuing Octavia from a sinking fishing boat in the lagoon, it was Lexa saving Clarke, before the great swell of imaginary music and climatic kiss sure to follow. Eventually, imagined scenarios turned to dreams as Clarke fell asleep under the stars, dreaming of Lexa falling for her in a hundred different ways.


	4. Stubborn, Headstrong, but not on Baywatch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke goes paddle boarding to spend more time with Lexa. An evil plan is concocted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter was fun to write. Sorry, john/murphy is a little shit in this.  
> 

Clarke woke up the next day feeling refreshed and blissful. At some point in the night she’d moved from the deck to her bed, instantly falling back asleep. Between the full 10 hours of sleep (her clock read 10:30am) and the lovely dreams she’d had all night, she woke up happier than she’d been in weeks. She took a deep breathe in, held it for a few moments, before sighing contentedly. _I should’ve taken a vacation ages ago._

She got up and got dressed, deciding to see if there was any water activity she could weasel her way into, in the hopes that Lexa would be supervising. As she headed down to the beachfront, she spotted the brunette behind the activities reception desk, which was really just a hut on the beach with all the equipment next to it. 

“Good morning, Lexa,” she called out. She didn’t think she’d ever get tired of saying the girl’s name. She was wearing her lifeguarding tank top, red shorts, and aviators again. 

The brunette looked up at her, her lips curving into a smile. “Hello, Clarke. What brings you here? I got the impression you were more of the ‘lounging at the poolside’ type,” the girl quipped. 

“Excuse me?” Clarke exclaimed, feigning shock. “I’ll have you know I’m quite athletic, actually.” It took all of her willpower not to add _’and very flexible too’_ , and wink at the girl. _It’s too early for that_. 

“Mhmm,” Lexa hummed. “So, any ideas about this ‘meet-cute’ thing you want us to do for the two lovebirds?” 

“Shit, I almost forgot! No, I haven’t come up with anything, but I’ll have something by the end of the day, I know it.” 

“Okay, keep me posted. Lincoln works most days so we’ll have to plan around that…” 

“Or incorporate it,” Clarke added, an idea beginning to take root in her mind. 

It must’ve been apparent because Lexa raised her eyebrows and said, “Oh no, I think I see an evil plan being forged as we speak.” 

“Hey, it’s not evil if it’s done out of love.” 

Before Lexa had the chance to tell Clarke that she wasn’t sure that’s how it worked, Clarke added, as nonchalantly as possible, “so, what fun water stuff are you doing today?” 

“I’m taking a group of people out paddle boarding,” she sighed. “Normally I don’t do stuff like this, but if there’s a large enough group and they want a ‘guide’, I go out with them.” 

“Is it like a private thing?” 

“No, just a bunch of random people really,” Lexa shrugged. 

“Cool! Sign me up!” 

Lexa quirked a eyebrow. “Really?” 

“Heck yeah, what time do you go?” 

“1 o’ clock, so you’ve got a bit of time.” 

“Perfect,” Clarke smiled widely. “See you later then!” Lexa chuckled and Clarke turned to go find some breakfast. _Today is going to be a good day_ , she thought to herself. 

——— 

When 12:45 rolled around, Clarke made her way back down to the beach. She’d had lunch at some little café in a part of the resort she hadn’t been to yet. She’d spent most of the morning thinking of possible ways to get Lincoln and Octavia together, or else her thoughts had wandered to Lexa. Clarke was happy in Bora Bora, and it was surprisingly easy to forget about any troubles she had back home. If she felt any unwanted thoughts snaking their way back into her mind, she just pictured Lexa that first day she’d seen her on the water. Or she thought of Octavia picking her up from the airport, and the joy she felt at seeing her old friend. They were thoughts that stilled her restless mind. _It can’t last forever…,_ she found herself thinking, but she quickly cut off that train of thought. _I have 5 full days left here, let’s make the most of it._

She returned to the beach to find seven or eight people milling about by the activities desk. Lexa was setting people up with paddle boards, while a large man covered in tattoos stood at the desk taking down information. 

“Name? Room number?” 

Clarke approached the desk. “Clarke Griffin, hut #21.” 

The man looked up at her, and broke into a sly grin. 

“So you are Clarke…,” he smirked. Clarke was taken aback, unsure of how to respond. 

“Yes?” 

The man just laughed, before winking at her and wishing her “good luck”. _It’s just paddle boarding, how hard can it be?_ she thought to herself. 

Once everyone had been given the proper equipment, they started off down the beach, Lexa briefly going over some ground rules. 

“Alright, so, for those of you haven’t met me already,” she looked over at Clarke and smiled, “my name is Lexa-“ 

“Hi, Lexa,” was mumbled by some people in the group, but one boy in particular, probably about Clarke’s age, called out a “Heeeeeeyyyyyyy Lexa.” 

Lexa’s aviators were blocking her eyes, but Clarke assumed she would’ve rolled them at the boy’s response. “John, please be quiet until I finish going over the guidelines.” _John…_ The name stuck in Clarke’s head, and she suddenly remembered seeing a group of kayakers in the bay on her first afternoon. _The snarky kid without a lifejacket._

“Sure thing, hun. But please, call me Murphy,” the boy replied haughtily. Clarke ground her teeth at the way he called Lexa ‘hun’. 

Lexa didn’t react, and just continued with her speech. “So, as I was saying, we’re just boarding out into the bay, and maybe around to a reef nearby. It will completely depend on the wind, and also how well the group is doing.” 

She quickly explained how best to go about paddle boarding, and with that their group waded into the shallow water and got started. Clarke was one of the first ones up and ready to go, standing on her board with her paddle at the ready. She was actually very proud of herself, and she didn't fail to notice Lexa’s impressed expression when she saw Clarke was ready so quickly. Clarke raised an eyebrow at the lifeguard, as if to say ‘I told you so’. 

Once everyone was up, they made their way from the beach out into the bay. Clarke was content to linger behind Lexa a bit, watching her in her element. At least, she assumed it was her element, as her body handled the board and waves with easy precision. But by that definition, dancing could’ve been Lexa’s element as well. Or just standing. _She's a goddess,_ Clarke thought, before she could stop herself. Trying to prevent herself from thinking any further along those lines, she paddled up next to Lexa in the hopes that friendly conversation would distract her. 

“I’m a natural,” she bragged to the girl, who laughed. 

“Sure you are, Clarke,” she replied sarcastically. “You know, there’s this thing called ‘beginner’s luck’…” 

“Oh shush,” Clarke huffed, before remembering the man on the beach. “Lexa, who was the big, tattooed guy at the desk?” 

Lexa turned to look at Clarke. “Nyko? He’s another staff member here. He’s basically the resort’s medic. Why?” 

“He seemed to know who I was.” Clarke could’ve sworn she saw Lexa blush. 

“He probably heard about you from Octavia,” she stammered. “That girl speaks very highly of you.” 

Clarke opened her mouth to reply, but before she could say anything, the two girls were interrupted by John, who appeared on Lexa’s other side. 

“Hey, Lex,” he grinned, “Who’s your hot friend?” _Cheeky bastard_. She saw Lexa cringe at the nickname. 

“First off, my ‘hot’ friend doesn’t want to get to know you, John. Secondly, I have asked you not to call me ‘Lex’, so don’t,” Lexa’s voice had a dangerous edge to it. “And lastly, you are a resort guest, and I am an employee. I will not go through this again. If you don’t stop pursuing me and making sexual advances, I will file a complaint and get you kicked out of this resort. Are we clear?” 

_Fierce Lexa is scary, and also hot as hell_ , Clarke thought to herself. 

“Aw, Lex, come on. We're just a guy and a girl out here in paradise, how ‘bout we have a little fun?” the boy teased. Clarke clenched her hands around her paddle, wishing it were the boy’s throat. 

“Hey, dipshit,” she spoke up, “are you fucking deaf?” Lexa raised her eyebrows, and John turned his attention to Clarke. “A, don’t call her that stupid nickname. B, she isn’t going to fuck you because it’s inappropriate and she could lose her job. C, let’s say she didn’t work here-” Clarke was picking up steam now, and maybe it was repressed anger from her breakup with Finn, or pent up sexual frustration from being around Lexa, but she was on a roll and the harsh words started pouring out of her mouth “-she still wouldn’t sleep with you if you were the last fuckboy on earth and you needed to repopulate the planet. You’re arrogant and immature and she could probably find a coconut- there are coconuts here right?-“ Lexa nodded, still in awe. “-okay good, she could find a coconut with more personality than you. So instead of wasting her time, how about you back the fuck off and go shove a sea urchin up your ass.” 

A couple seconds passed before anyone said anything. The rest of the group was still behind them, all spread out and paddling in the same general direction. John and Lexa both had their eyes glued to Clarke, and Clarke was still shooting daggers at John. 

“Easy there, Princess,” the boy chuckled, breaking the silence. “Didn’t realize I was interrupting something. I’ll just excuse myself, as Lex here is apparently taken alr-“ 

Clarke didn’t have full control over her body anymore. At least, that’s what she told herself, as her arms seemed to move of their own accord. She hefted her paddle and swung it so that it struck John in the hip and he lost his balance. The boy tumbled into the water with a yelp. Clarke would’ve liked to take a moment to look at Lexa, hoping the girl would shout something like “my hero!”, but Clarke had to quickly adjust her swing so that she didn’t also take Lexa out with her paddle-turned-spear. Clarke overcorrected her balance and leaned too far back, sending her crashing into the water as well. 

She came up spluttering to the sound of Lexa’s laughter. _Not really the reaction I’d hoped for after ripping that kid apart._ But, she couldn’t deny that she adored the sound of Lexa’s laugh. She hauled herself onto her board and glanced over at John. The boy was grimacing at Clarke, but her message had apparently gotten through, because he simply climbed up and paddled away without a word. 

Clarke knelt on her board and grinned up at Lexa. “Man, it sure is hard to take someone’s anger seriously when they’re paddling away from you at like 0.4 miles per hour, pretending that their dignity hasn’t just been obliterated.” 

That only made Lexa laugh harder, before she said, “And what about your dignity?” 

“Lost it many a year ago. I have more fun without it though,” and she winked at the brunette. 

“Well, you certainly have a way with words,” Lexa snickered. “I don’t think I’ll have to worry about John again. Thank you.” Her playful tone slipped away, replaced with sincerity. 

“My pleasure, he’s a total asshat.” 

“Do you need some help standing up again?” Lexa asked, regarding Clarke with an amused expression. 

“I think I can manage, but speaking of ‘helping’, where were you when I fell in the water? You’re a lifeguard, shouldn’t you have dived in and rescued me?” 

Lexa chuckled. “Clarke, it will take more than a girl falling off a paddle board to make me go into Baywatch-mode, regardless of how cute she is.” 

Clarke’s breath caught in her throat. _Did she just call me cute?_ She searched Lexa’s face for any sign of surprise at her own words, but with Lexa’s aviators on, it was harder to gauge her reaction. 

_Stupid sunglasses. How am I supposed to tell if she’s staring longingly into my eyes or not? Although, they are ridiculously attractive on her._

Once Clarke had gotten to her feet, Lexa directed the group to the small reef nearby. Clarke was extremely pleased when she saw John sulking at the back of the group. 

The reef wasn’t large or colourful, but with the water as clear as it was, it was easy for the tourists to see the countless fish and underwater creatures that populated it. Fish weren’t really Clarke’s thing, however, and she found herself gazing over at Lexa more often than not. It was unfair, she thought, that she should meet this girl on a secluded island in the middle of the ocean, and not at home at a coffee shop. Sure, the tropical vacation added a bit of allure to the whole thing, but all in all she really enjoyed Lexa’s company. She wished they could spend more time together than the 5 days she had left. 

As they made their way back to the beach, Lexa and Clarke wound up next to each other. 

“I meant to mention it to you earlier,” Lexa said, “that I did a little detective work, and I think this whole Lincoln-Octavia thing might actually work.” 

“What do you mean ‘might actually work’?” Clarke put her hand on her chest, pretending to be offended. “Did you doubt me, Lexa?” 

Lexa stuck her tongue out at her in response. Clarke desperately tried to not think about how that tongue would feel tracing her bottom lip. 

“Never,” the lifeguard replied. “But now I know it’s a sure success. Lincoln stopped by the beach while you were at breakfast. We got to talking about you, so I casually mentioned that you were friends with Octavia, wondering if he knew her-“ 

“You got to talking about me?” Clarke interrupted. 

Lexa blushed. “Not important. Anyways, he does know her, and he definitely got all lovesick when I asked him about her. He moaned about ‘seeing her but never talking to her’ and ‘running past her dorm everyday’. He is obviously into her,” she said matter-of-factly. 

Clarke grinned triumphantly. “Perfect, because I think I have a plan.” 

Before Clarke could share just what she had in mind, Lexa had to leave so she could help some tourists floundering in the shallows, having bumped into the shore and toppled off their boards. Clarke brought her board and paddle up to the same hut as before, and saw Nyko still sitting there. 

“Have a good time?” he called out to her. 

“Definitely, although I did fall in once.” 

The man laughed and stood up to help her put her equipment away. Clarke remembered the brief conversation she’d had with Lexa about the man. 

“Nyko, right?” Clarke asked. The man nodded amiably. “How did you know who I was? Did Octavia mention me?” 

Nyko laughed again, only this time he shook his head as his shoulders rose and fell in time with his booming laugh. “Did Lexa tell you that?” 

“Yes…” 

He sighed, still trying to get his laughter under control. “Clarke, that girl is stubborn, and headstrong. When I wished you ‘good luck’, I meant it.” With that he took Clarke’s board out of her hands and went to put it away, leaving a confused Clarke standing alone on the beach. 

It wasn’t long before Lexa and the rest of the group came up behind her, and while the rest of the guests arranged their equipment with Nyko’s help, the brunette approached Clarke, who was deep in thought. _’Good luck’? I thought he meant about the paddle boarding but was he referring to Lexa…? Good luck with what, becoming her friend? I mean… it hasn’t been too hard really…_

“So, about this plan you have…,?” Lexa said, snapping Clarke out of her daydream. 

“Oh! Yeah, so I was thinking…” 

The two girls put their heads together as Clarke divulged her plan to Lexa. Lexa’s eyes widened before she started laughing, and Clarke broke into a mischievous grin as she revealed more and more of her plan. Lexa began nodding in agreement, her eyes lit up with excitement. 

They decided they would enact their plan the following afternoon. Octavia had the day off, and Lincoln working an afternoon shift played perfectly into their hands. Clarke knew her plan was ridiculous, but Lexa didn’t voice any concerns. The lifeguard seemed as excited about the whole thing as Clarke was, and the smile on Lexa’s face gave Clarke all the reassurance she needed. Their plan, no matter how stupid, could not fail.


	5. Mermaids and Matchmakers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke's plan is put into action.

It was mid-afternoon, the sun was blaring and the heat was intense. It had reduced Clarke to a sweaty lump on the beach, while Octavia taunted her from the water. 

“Come on, Clarkey! The water is perfect.” 

Clarke’s eyes were closed but she rolled them anyway. She didn’t want to frolic around in the water, no matter how cool and refreshing it was. She came from Seattle, where water wasn’t something they lacked. The blazing sun and perfect beach weather, however, were things she wanted to take full advantage of while she could. 

“Claaaaaaarke,” Octavia whined. “Clarke. Clarke. Clarke. Clarke. Clarkey. Clarke. Princess. Clarke.” 

“You’re the devil,” Clarke moaned at her friend, rolling over onto her stomach. 

“Come on Clarke, let’s do something fun. All you want to do is lay around. Why are you no fun anymore?” Octavia teased. 

Her face hidden from view, Clarke chanced a mischievous grin. Octavia was doing exactly as Clarke thought she would. Part one of her plan was coming along smoothly. She looked up and spotted Lexa lounging further up the beach, on duty lifeguarding. The brunette either didn’t notice Clarke staring or was pretending not to see her. Clarke knew that if it was the latter it was because she didn’t want to give any indication that she and Clarke were up to something, but Clarke thought even a wave in her direction couldn’t hurt. 

Just as she was about to roll back over, she saw Lexa’s face break into a sly grin. Clarke’s throat tightened. She didn’t think she’d ever get over how gorgeous Lexa was. The lifeguard was looking in her direction, and just as Clarke lifted a hand to wave at her, she felt cold water being dribbled onto her back. 

“Octavia!” She shrieked, rolling over abruptly. The girl in question was wringing her long brown hair out over Clarke’s body. 

“Hey, I thought you might have heat stroke, you were so motionless. Glad see you’re just fine.” She stuck her tongue out at Clarke. 

“Ugh, fine, let’s do something.” Octavia fist pumped in celebration. “How about I bury you in sand?” Clarke asked. 

“I’ll get sand absolutely everywhere,” Octavia said, uncertainly. 

“You wanted do something, I don’t want to go in the water.” 

“Okay, why the hell not!” _Of course. You are always down for anything and that’s why I love you, O_ , Clarke thought to herself, trying not to laugh. 

The two girls stood up and found an area on the beach appropriate for their needs. They dug a shallow hole the length of Octavia’s body, which the girl jumped in to ceremoniously. Clarke began pushing the sand back onto her, wetting some of it so it would stick together. 

“Clarke, Clarke! Can you make it so that my feet look like a mermaid’s tail?” 

Clarke rolled her eyes, but started to mould the sand as her friend requested. _That will only make this so much better_. 

Just as Clarke was putting the finishing touches on Octavia’s tail, Lexa walked up beside them. 

“Having fun, are we?” She purred. It sent shivers down Clarke’s spin. 

“Always. We’re almost done,” Clarke answered the lifeguard, before looking at Octavia. “Hey, O, I’m pretty much done but you can’t move yet. I need to take a picture!” 

“Okay, sounds good to me. I’m actually pretty comfy,” the sand-covered girl replied. 

“Awesome. Okay, but I forgot my camera in the room so I’ll run over real quick. Sorry!” Clarke called out apologetically, standing up and moving to leave. Before she left, she turned back to Lexa. 

“Would you be able to keep an eye on her for me, pretty please?” She asked, batting her eyelashes. 

Lexa gulped, red colouring her cheeks. _Hah!_ Clarke thought triumphantly. _Flirting wasn’t part of the plan. I caught you off guard._

“I can’t actually stand here but I’ll watch from further up the beach,” the lifeguard answered. 

“Perfect. Oh, wait.” 

Clarke knelt down in the sand and began writing with a nearby twig. 

“What’s it say?” Octavia asked. 

“It says ‘Octavia loves Clarke Griffin - Bora Bora 2015’,” Clarke replied, her tongue stuck out in concentration. With that, she jumped up and ran to get her camera, with a shout that she’d be back soon. 

——— 

“Well,” Lexa said dismissively, “I should get back to my post.” 

“Sure, but Lexa… Clarke means a lot to me, so please be careful with her,” Octavia said. Lexa raised here eyebrows in shock. 

“Are you giving me a ‘talk’ about your best friend? Octavia, there isn’t anything going on there.” 

“Hmph. Whatever _is_ going on though, I just wanted you to know. She just got out of a pretty rough relationship and she’s vulnerable, okay?” 

Lexa suddenly seemed very focused on the sand in her toes. “Okay,” she mumbled, before turning around and walking back up the beach. 

Octavia leaned her head back and rested it in the sand. It felt like Clarke was taking forever to get her camera, but she knew it was probably only a minute or so since she’d left. She started humming to herself to pass the time. A few minutes later she heard someone coming back down the beach and opened her eyes, ready for her photoshoot. 

“Octavia?” 

Octavia’s excitement turned to mortification when she saw Lincoln walking towards her. 

“Uh… hey- hi Lincoln,” she stammered. “Aren’t you-“ she cleared her throat because wow it was suddenly impossible to talk “-aren’t you working today?” 

He took in the scene before him, blushing a little while he did. “Yes, but I received word that some large driftwood had washed up onto the beach and needed removing,” he paused, before adding “but I think maybe they meant you.” He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. 

“Haha, that’s… that’s funny…,” Octavia laughed weakly, still overcome with embarrassment. 

“You know, Octavia… this is a pretty extravagant way to ask someone out.” 

“What?!” The girl nearly shouted. 

“Well I kind of assumed that’s what the intention was when you wrote ‘I could put some motion in your ocean’ in the sand right beneath your, um, mermaid tail-“ 

“WHAT?” She definitely shouted that time. 

“It says ‘hey handsome, I could put some motion in your oce-“ 

“I’m going to FUCKING kill her!” 

——— 

Clarke had never gone back to get her camera. Just like she’d never actually written ‘Octavia loves Clarke’ in the sand. She’d actually ran a little ways up the beach, only to duck behind a palm tree and wait for Lexa to do her part. 

She glanced back at Octavia’s form and saw her friend and Lexa exchanging words. Lexa looked a little stiff, if not slightly taken aback, and Clarke wondered what it was that they were talking about. She didn’t dwell on it very long though because soon Lexa was walking towards her. 

“Hey,” Clarke smiled when the brunette was close enough. 

“Hi,” she replied tightly. 

“Is everything okay?” Lexa seemed troubled. Her brow was furrowed and her lips set in a slight frown. She wasn’t looking at Clarke either. 

“S’fine,” she mumbled. 

Clarke knew she shouldn’t, but went for it anyway. She reached out and took the girl’s chin in her hand, tilting it upwards. Lexa’s eyes widened at the sudden contact. And suddenly it dawned on Clarke how much she really did want to kiss Lexa. They were so close, she could smell the girl’s sunscreen and see small beads of sweat slowly rolling down her chest. Clarke licked her lips. 

“What’s wrong?” She asked. 

Lexa seemed as dazed by their sudden proximity as Clarke was. Her lips were parted and her breathing ragged. She controlled herself very quickly though, and brought her eyes to Clarke’s. 

“Nothing, really,” she replied, offering Clarke a small smile. Clarke took that as a queue to back off. Clearly, Lexa wasn’t going to talk about it, and it probably wasn’t a huge deal anyways. 

“Okay, well, time to enact part two,” Clarke announced. 

“Right,” Lexa nodded, instantly all business. “I’ll go get him now.” She turned around to go. 

Clarke grabbed the brunette’s hand without thinking, crying “Wait!” 

The two looked down at their entwined hands, before Clarke realized what had happened as snatched her hand back as if burnt. Lexa just sort of let hers drop, almost surprised that it was suddenly empty. 

Clarke cleared her throat. “Don’t forget to keep a straight face, that’s essential.” 

“Clarke, it’s me. Stoic and aloof, remember?” Lexa teased, before turning and jogging away. 

Clarke turned back again to look at the beach. They’d picked the perfect day for their plan. The beach wasn’t too crowded, and no one was really wandering, so it wasn’t likely that Octavia would get disturbed by some strangers. No, if all went well, she’d be patiently waiting for Clarke’s return, until unbeknownst to her… _This might be in my top five plans of all time_. Clarke grinned to herself. 

As she waited for Lexa’s return, she absentmindedly thought about the lifeguard and their relationship. At times, it seemed liked Lexa was flirting with Clarke, or was maybe being affected by Clarke’s actions the same way Lexa had that effect on her. Maybe Lexa’s pulse quickened, her pupils dilated, and her legs trembled when Clarke smiled at her. _Unlikely,_ Clarke thought. 

Before she could think anymore on the matter, she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. Clarke turned around to find Lexa holding a finger over her lips, signalling Clarke keep silent. The brunette had a wide grin on her face, her eyes alight with anticipation. Clarke moved to let Lexa stand beside her behind the palm tree, and they both watched their plan unfold. 

Clarke was staring intently at Lincoln walking towards Octavia, when she felt breathe tickle her ear. 

“Clarke, this plan is amazing,” Lexa whispered. Clarke’s pulse was erratic, and even though the two girls weren’t touching, she could feel in the air how close Lexa was to her. 

“I try,” she choked out. 

“You’re a genius,” the other girl murmured. Clarke’s grip around the palm tree tightened until her knuckles were white. It took all of her willpower not to turn her head. To see Lexa this close would run the risk of wanting to kiss her again. 

Just when she thought her resolve might fail, she heard Octavia’s voice from across the beach. 

“WHAT?” 

Clarke broke into a wide grin, trying to dispel the butterflies and shivers that had settled inside her. She squinted at the two figures on the beach, trying to make out their words. The next bit came loud and clear. 

“I’m going to FUCKING kill her!” 

Lexa and Clarke both burst out laughing. Clarke threw her head back while Lexa doubled over, leaning on the palm tree for support. Whatever sexual tension Clarke had felt a moment ago was forgotten as the two relished in the successful outcome of their plan. 

“Yes!” Lexa cried out when she had caught her breathe. 

“Oh man, that was priceless!” 

Since the two girls were still struggling to control their laughter, neither one noticed Lincoln striding towards them purposefully. Before either girl had chance duck and run, Lincoln found them behind the tree. 

“Oh, Lincoln. Hi,” Lexa panted. 

The big man didn’t say a word, but he bent down and grabbed an aware Lexa by the knees, swinging her up over his shoulder and carrying her away like a child. 

“Hey!” Clarke called out. 

Lincoln turned around, a wide grin on his face as Lexa struggled on his shoulders. “I’ll be back for you, Princess,” he promised, before continuing his way down the beach. 

Clarke was unsure if she should run after him and try to rescue Lexa, or flee the scene. _Rescue, obviously_ , she thought, but before she could move, she was tackled by a sandy Octavia. 

“You little shit!” The girl yelled, holding Clarke on the ground with her weight. “You’re not getting away that easily.” 

“Hey O!” Clarke beamed at her. “Have a nice chat with Lincoln yet?” 

“If you weren’t my bestest friend I would murder you right here on the beach! I’m still debating it.” 

At that moment they both heard a scream from the water. Clarke had to crane her neck to see, with Octavia pinning her, but she caught sight of Lincoln dumping Lexa into the shallow water nearby. 

“Oh my god.” Clarke wasn’t sure if she should laugh or be worried that she was next. Maybe both. 

Sure enough, as Lexa came up sputtering in the shallow water, Lincoln had already turned back towards Clarke. 

“Thanks for holding onto this one for me,” he smiled at Octavia. The smile of a man completely enamoured by the girl currently pinning Clarke into the sand. 

“Ugh, enough with the puppy eyes and get this over with,” Clarke groaned. 

Lincoln shrugged and Octavia slipped off Clarke, giggling as Lincoln picked her up like he had with Lexa and marched her over to the water. 

“Hey now, it was just some innocent fun,” Clarke pleaded. “There’s no need for any extreme action here.” 

“Clarke, I respect you. You make Lexa happy, and you make her laugh-“ Clarke couldn’t help but grin “-but also I quite like Octavia, and since you’ve affronted her honour I’ll have to dunk you, I’m sorry.” 

Clarke wanted to make some comment about how the whole thing had been to Lincoln’s benefit, really. Or about how chivalry was dead. She never got the chance as she felt Lincoln’s shoulder disappear and she hit the water a second later. 

When she came up, she found herself sitting next to Lexa. The girl was drenched, and certainly not in any position to be doing her job, but she was grinning and it made Clarke happy. 

“So,” she spoke up, “I’d say that went pretty well.” 

Lexa chuckled before nodding at the beach. “Quite well indeed.” 

Sure enough, Lincoln had rejoined Octavia and the two were engrossed in conversation, each looking at the other as if they’d never seen another person so amazing. It was kind of gross. 

“You can say it, you know.” Lexa’s voice caught Clarke off guard. 

“Say what?” she asked, looking at the brunette. 

“‘I told you so’,” Lexa replied matter-of-factly. “You were right about them. About him.” ‘About me’ was on the edge of her lips, but she didn’t say it. Instead the lifeguard just looked at Clarke silently. That look said enough. 

“People will always surprise you,” was all Clarke could think to say. 

“Hmm,” Lexa hummed, nodding sagely. 

Although they were both soaking wet and sitting in sand, neither girl moved. Both were just content to look on as their two friends began walking off the beach towards the resort. They didn’t move to hold hands, but their bodies hovered closely as they walked alongside each other. 

“Ah, young love,” Clarke sighed, looking to Lexa. 

She was surprised to find a new tightness in Lexa’s eyes, a pained expression on her face. Moments ago they’d been laughing at their ridiculous plan’s unlikely success, but now the girl next to Clarke looked tired, worn out almost, as if she held the weight of the world on her shoulders. Clarke ached to reach out, to rest her hand on the girl’s shoulder or press her face in the crook of her neck. 

“Lexa?” 

Lexa blinked a few times, her mind returning from whatever depth it had vanished to a few seconds ago. She turned to look at Clarke, and smiled sadly. 

“I should go,” she murmured. “I am supposed to be working, after all.” She flashed an apologetic look at Clarke as she rose from the shallow water. 

“Thank you for making this plan with me, Clarke. It turned out much better than I had thought it would.” 

“Yeah, of course, Lexa, but-“ 

“I really should go,” the girl cut her off. 

“Okay.” 

Lexa held out her hand for Clarke to stand up, and Clarke obliged, hauling herself out of the water with Lexa’s help. Once she was up, she didn’t move to let go of Lexa’s hand, instead searching the girl’s eyes for any clues as to the sudden change in her mood. 

Lexa’s eyes, in turn, gazed at Clarke. She was still holding Clarke’s hand as they stared at each other. The lifeguard was the first to break it. She shook her head and looked down at their hands. She smiled ruefully and gently took her hand back. 

“I will see you around, Clarke. There is another party tonight, but I don’t think I will be going.” 

“Not in the mood to dance?” Clarke tried to liven the girl’s mood. 

“Not tonight, no. But thank you,” Lexa smiled genuinely before turning to leave. 

“Ok, see you around then!” Clarke called to her politely, watching her walk away. 

_What could make someone so closed off like that?_ she wondered as she trudged up the beach. She decided to try not to dwell on it. Lexa’s problems were Lexa’s problems, that was that. Despite Lexa’s absence, Clarke resolved to go to the party later. She wanted to have a good time, albeit without the sexy lifeguard and significantly fewer tequila shots. 

She made her way back to her hut, revelling in the sweet taste of victory. She had to admit even she had been concerned about the likelihood of her own plan succeeding, although she’d never admit it. She was happy that it had though, as Lincoln and Octavia looked like they’d be inseparable from now on. Clarke continued along the boardwalk, attempting to think about anything other than Lexa. Try as she might, though, thoughts of the lifeguard could never stay out of her head for too long.


	6. Tanqueray 10: A Gift to Humanity

By the time Clarke arrived at the beach party, it was in full swing. Similar to the one on her first night, the party had its own bar, music, and dance floor set up on the beach. Bass thrummed through the air as Clarke began to search for Octavia. She found her friend easily enough, glued to the hip of Lincoln. The big man had his arm wrapped her waist. The two were standing at the bar. 

“Hey you two!” Clarke called out. 

“Well, look who it is,” Lincoln chuckled as he caught sight of Clarke. 

Octavia beamed at her, but didn’t say anything, instead dashing forward and pulling Clarke by the wrist so that they were a little ways off from the bar. 

“Clarke, you are the most wonderful friend ever, have I ever told you that?” 

Clarke smirked at her. “So my plan worked.” Octavia rolled her eyes in response. 

“As stupid as it was, yes. Lincoln and I talked all afternoon and it turns out we’ve both been crushing on each other for a while now so we’re going to give this thing a go!” 

“Octavia, I’m so happy for you!” 

“Credit where it’s due: it wouldn’t have happened without you, Princess,” the girl smiled at her, before winking and rejoining Lincoln at the bar. 

Clarke stood happily watching her friend for a few minutes. _Octavia deserves to be happy,_ Clarke thought to herself. _After all that girl has been through… Moving to Bora Bora probably saved her life_. Clarke wondered if the same could happen to her, if she extended her stay. But those malicious thoughts always came back, her nagging doubts and unrelenting worries: her mother, her ex-boyfriend, her education. _What am I doing with my life?_ It wasn’t the first time she’d asked herself that question. It wouldn’t be the last. 

Turning away from the bar, Clarke wandered through the throng of people to the edge of the crowd. She wasn’t really in the mood to dance, but she figured the party would be a nice distraction from thoughts of Lexa or those _other_ things she wouldn’t let herself think about. She left the party behind as she strolled down the beach a bit further. She dipped her toes in the cool water, thinking maybe she should’ve joined Octavia for a swim earlier that day. 

Her rumination was interrupted by a rustling sound coming from the palm trees not far away. Clarke walked over silently, praying she wasn’t walking in on some drunk party-goers hooking up in the trees. 

Instead, to her surprise, she found Lexa. The lifeguard was leaning against a palm tree, humming to herself and gazing up into the sky. The sun was just starting to dip beyond the horizon, and Clarke assumed the girl was waiting for the stars to come out. She was about to speak up when she noticed what Lexa was clutching in her hand, resting by her side; a bottle of gin. Trying not to startle the girl, Clarke cleared her throat. 

“Lexa?” 

The girl stood up abruptly, and staggered a little at the sudden movement. She turned her head to Clarke and a slow smile crept across her face. 

“Hey, Clarke,” she said cheerily. 

“Lexa…” 

Clarke wasn’t sure what to say. She didn’t want scare the girl off by interrogating her but she was also concerned by Lexa’s behaviour. Earlier that day she’d randomly shut down when they’d been sitting in the water, and now she was slamming back gin like it was water and she’d just finished traversing the Sahara. 

“Why aren’t you at the party?” Clarke asked. 

“I’m having a party of my own,” Lexa responded simply, holding up the bottle for Clarke to see. ‘Tanqueray 10’. _Good taste_ , Clarke thought before she could stop herself. _For fucks sake, now is not the time._

Unsure of how to proceed, Clarke held out her hand and asked, “May I join this ‘party’ of yours?” 

Lexa’s dopey grin widened and she thrust the bottle into Clarke’s open hand. _This is so unlike her… Then again, who am I to say what’s ‘like her’ or not, I’ve only known her a few days._ That thought suddenly resonated with Clarke. _Only a few days… but I sure did fall for her fast._ She wouldn’t say she was in love, not after Finn. It was too early for that, and too hard to open herself up to the possibility of it. But she couldn’t deny anymore that she definitely felt something for the gorgeous brunette currently tripping over herself in front of her. 

“Hey, Lexa, do you want to go somewhere?” 

“Clarke,” Lexa appeared shocked. “I’m not that kind of girl,” she said with as straight of a face as she could manage before she started giggling. 

Clarke ignored the way the Lexa’s giggles made her stomach flip and instead focused on thinking of someplace they could go to just sit and drink, preferably away from all the party noise. 

“I know just the spot!” Lexa cried out suddenly. 

“Okay, where to?” 

“The roof!” Lexa exclaimed before dashing towards the resort. 

“Lexa, wait!” Clarke called after her. _For a drunken mess, she sure is coordinated… and fast!_ Clarke swore as she fought to catch up to the girl. 

Eventually she reached the spot Lexa had run to; a rickety, rusted ladder that led to the roof of the resort. This section in particular was only 2 storeys high, and the climb wasn’t as frightening as it could’ve been. Clarke went after Lexa to make sure the girl wouldn’t slip and fall. Lexa, however, climbed the ladder with sure feet and steady hands, and Clarke couldn’t help wonder how drunk the girl really was. 

When they got to the top of the ladder, Lexa sat down on the roof with a heavy sigh. 

“I love it up here,” she breathed reverently. 

“It’s pretty great,” Clarke agreed. “Look, you can see all those idiots down on the beach.” 

Sure enough, the party was visible from the roof, the music just barely reaching them. The sun had finally settled itself below the horizon, and the stars quickly became visible in the newly darkened sky. 

Lexa sprawled onto her back, still taking the occasional swig of gin. Clarke helped herself to a few sips here and there. Considering that this was the most truly alone she and Lexa had ever been, she figured she’d need a little alcohol to calm her nerves. 

“Clarke?” 

“Yes, Lexa?” Clarke turned to look at the brunette, and found the girl staring at her curiously. 

“Are you happy you came here?” 

It wasn’t exactly what Clarke was expecting Lexa to ask, but she supposed the girl was tipsy and any thought that came to mind was a good enough topic for conversation. 

“Very,” she replied honestly, smiling softly at the lifeguard. “Are you happy you came here?” 

It was several seconds before Lexa answered. “I don’t know if coming here was the right thing to do or not… but I think I am happy that I did.” 

“Five years is a long time to be away from home…” Clarke wanted to kick herself as soon as the words left her mouth. _Of course it’s a long time. She probably misses her family._

“It is,” Lexa replied, her eyes suddenly fascinated by the backs of her hands as she held them above her. “But I don’t know if I’m ready to go back yet.” 

Clarke didn’t say anything, waiting to see if Lexa felt like sharing more. Clarke felt tinge of guilt knowing that she was relying on a half empty bottle of Tanqueray 10 to make the beautiful lifeguard next to her spill her secrets. 

Lexa exhaled steadily, as if to prepare herself for what she was going to say next. Her eyes stayed fixed on the sky as she dropped her hands next to her. 

“My girlfriend died.” Lexa swallowed thickly before continuing. “Five years ago last week, actually.” She turned her head to look at Clarke. “Don’t say ‘I’m sorry’. I hate that.” 

Clarke looked down at her hands in her lap before speaking. “I lost someone too, so I can understand not wanting to hear ‘sorry’.” 

Lexa nodded before turning and focusing again on the stars. Clarke reached for the bottle of gin and took a good, long pull. _That’s what she’s running from,_ Clarke thought sadly. She wanted to reach out and take the girl’s hand, or pull her into her arms. Whisper comforts into her ear and never let her go. _Only you can’t run from something like that… They’re always going to be with you._ Clarke should know. After her father died, she had tried plenty of times to run away from it, from the life she’d had. Everything had felt tainted, so much so that she couldn’t be the same person anymore. 

“It doesn’t hurt as bad anymore. Sometimes I wish it would.” 

“Moving on is natural,” Clarke offered. “We can’t stay stuck in the past forever. It’d tear us apart.” 

Lexa nodded. “I understand that. It just scares me, to think about forgetting her. To think about the rest of my life. Things we’d planned to do together that will never happen. Life just changed so fast when she died.” 

Clarke could understand that. Her family had been planning a summer vacation to Spain when her father had passed away. Excitement for the future had turned to grief. Her mother had tried to suggest that they do something the two of them, but Clarke had refused. _It wouldn’t have been the same. It never will be._ It was something she had reconciled herself to long ago. 

Clarke didn’t want to ask Lexa how her girlfriend had died. Well, she did. But she wasn’t sure if the girl was up for that. Clarke eyed the bottle of gin. _It’s thanks to you that we’re having this conversation. But I almost wish we weren’t._ Clarke didn’t think that Lexa would’ve told her any of this sober. The fact that it was the alcohol made her uneasy. 

“What was her name?” Clarke asked. She figured she may as well start with something easy. If at any point Lexa didn’t want to talk more, she’d be okay with that. 

“Costia…,” Lexa paused, before sitting up, crossing her legs and turning to look at Clarke. “You don’t have to do this.” 

“Do what?” 

“Ask me all the usual stuff. How we met, how long we were together, etcetera.” 

“I’m not doing anything because I ‘have to’,” Clarke replied, a bit defensively. Lexa reached for the gin and took a quick sip. She stared into the bottle afterwards, sloshing the clear liquid back and forth like waves on the ocean. 

“She drowned.” 

The sudden declaration startled Clarke. She didn’t have time to react though, as Lexa added, “How stupid is that? I’m a lifeguard and my girlfriend drowned.” 

Lexa’s voice held no anger, or even bitterness. _She probably dropped that long ago,_ Clarke thought. She tried not to dwell on the previous revelation, but she couldn’t help it. Clarke had always thought drowning would be the most terrifying way to die. She wasn’t about to tell Lexa that, obviously. 

She could understand how Lexa believed it to be stupid too. _It would’ve been devastating, to feel like you are the person who could’ve saved them, only to not have been able to._ Clarke knew that all too well. Her mother was a doctor, an extremely good one at that, but she wasn’t able to save her father’s life. 

“Sometimes I think maybe there is a god up there, and he has the most fucked up sense of humour,” Lexa chuckled, taking another swig of gin. 

Clarke smiled at Lexa’s words and took a bit of gin for herself. She was beginning to feel a bit of a buzz now. She wasn’t sure how Lexa was still coherent. She’d been stumbling on the beach, but Clarke wondered if maybe she’d already been drunk off something else, and now that they were sharing, the other girl had slowed down. 

“I’m not usually like this,” Lexa said, unexpectedly. Clarke opened her mouth to speak but Lexa kept going. “I mean this-“ she waved at the gin “-except at this time of year. I know it’s not the best coping mechanism, but it’s more of an exaggerated toast to her memory than anything.” 

“An ‘exaggerated toast’ is what you’re going with?” Clarke teased. “Was Costia a big gin drinker?” 

Lexa laughed. A true, honest laugh. “No, she hated the stuff. She said it was like drinking pine trees.” 

“What!” Clarke cried indignantly, “‘Tanqueray 10’ cannot be simply reduced to being pine tree-esque. It’s a gift to humanity,” she finished with a wink. 

Lexa nodded exaggeratedly and broke into a grin. “That’s what I always told her!” She wagged her finger at the sky, whether out of excitement that Clarke was of the same mind or as an ‘I told you so’ to heaven, Clarke wasn’t sure. 

It felt like the mood had changed. The air wasn’t as heavy with emotional confessions or painful admissions. Instead, Clarke felt like Lexa had relaxed since opening up about Costia. It could’ve been the alcohol, or maybe having the weight of the dead off her shoulders, or even just someone to talk to alone on the roof, but Clarke was happy it was her that Lexa was choosing to talk to. 

Keeping with her teasing, she lightly poked Lexa in the arm and ribbed, “So you decide to run away, which I understand, but to Bora Bora?” 

Much to Clarke’s relief, Lexa didn’t shy away from her touch, smiling instead at Clarke’s question. 

“I know. But the allure is obvious. Small, secluded island in the middle of the ocean, virtually untouchable by your old life and its worries. Hot, sunny, and employing lifeguards. No questions asked about why you’re showing up with no money and more emotional baggage than physical,” Lexa quipped. 

“Okay, that’s not entirely true,” she added. “There were definitely a few questions asked, and I was honest about it to Indra, and eventually Lincoln when he and I became friends. But, for the most part, I don’t talk about it with the other people around here. Present company excluded,” she winked at Clarke. 

Clarke’s heart swelled in her chest. There was no ‘the alcohol does this to me’ or ‘I shouldn’t be telling you this’. Instead, Lexa had fully admitted that she was telling Clarke her tragic backstory of her own will. It made Clarke feel special, and important, and - _even more hopelessly into this girl than I already was_. 

“So, would Indra basically be family then?” 

“Yes, but more like an aunt than a mother,” Lexa replied, before knotting her eyebrows and adding, “I have some family back home. An uncle, Gustus, and a cousin, Anya. They were supportive of my choice to move, but had hoped it would be a short stint to another state or something. Bora Bora for five years was not quite what they were expecting.” 

“Were you close?” Clarke asked. She never knew her cousins very well, and they spent even less time with the extended family after her father passed away. 

“Yes, I lived with them before coming here. For the first year they called me often to check in and see when I thought I’d be coming back. We still talk frequently enough, but they’ve stopped asking for a return date.” 

“Have you never visited?” Clarke asked incredulously. 

“No,” Lexa looked down at her lap. “I haven’t had the heart to go home. I am happy here, truly. Home holds a lot of memories, it’s tough to think about facing that. Even after all this time.” 

“I understand,” Clarke replied. “I haven’t seen my mother in a while. Not quite five years, but still. Our relationship was… strained after my dad died.” 

Lexa looked up, her eyes boring into Clarke’s. They seemed to convey understanding, and empathy, and something else that Clarke wanted to believe was affection. 

Lexa opened her mouth, paused, and then smiled. “I won’t say ‘I’m sorry’.” 

“Thanks,” Clarke smiled in return. 

“Hmmm, thank you,” Lexa hummed. “I had reconciled myself to a night of drinking, curling into a ball, and sobbing into my pillow, but this has been a much better outcome.” 

Clarke grinned at her and reached for the bottle of gin. She was surprised to find it basically empty, only a few drops resting in the bottom. She looked up at Lexa who smiled deviously and winked. Clarke felt her face flush, realizing just how tipsy she might’ve gotten after all. 

Looking at Lexa, Clarke noticed the girl might’ve also regained some of her previous drunkenness. Her cheeks were pink and her smile a little lopsided. _In the most frustratingly adorable way_. 

“You know,” Lexa suddenly spoke up, waving her hand in the direction of the beach party. “Lincoln kept telling me to get out more. To go to one of those stupid parties and meet someone. He kept saying I couldn’t mope forever. He actually tried to convince me that what I really needed was a good fuck-“ Clarke almost jumped at Lexa’s choice of words, suddenly very aware of their proximity “-but that’s not what I wanted, you know? I didn’t want to meet someone that I would just use for sex. And I definitely didn’t want to meet someone that I would sleep with and then get attached to-“ Lexa’s eyes flickered to Clarke briefly “-but I got drunk the other night, and decided ‘why the hell not’ and went to the party. I just really wanted to be close to people again, you know? Human contact be actually be kind of nice sometimes. I’m glad I went, or else I wouldn’t have met you.” 

Clarke’s stomach flipped and she tried to control her blushing. The words made her heart melt. However, she knew that Lexa was once again back to nearly the same level of intoxicated as before. The way she was rambling, with the frequent ‘you know?’ thrown into her sentences. The way her head kind of swayed back and forth. _I should take her home,_ Clarke’s responsible brain told her. 

_First things first_. Clarke’s less than responsible brain took over and she scooted closer to Lexa. She dropped her hand on to the girl’s wrist and when she looked over at it, Clarke leaned in to plant a light kiss the girl’s cheek. _Nothing too crazy_ , her mind was telling her. She wanted to comfort Lexa, not scare her off. 

The problem was, that whether out of surprise at Clarke’s sudden movement, or driven by the alcohol, Lexa abruptly turned her head and Clarke’s kiss fell on her lips. 

Between revelling in the feel of Lexa’s lips and wanting to kiss her harder, Clarke knew she should pull back. This was not what she’d intended. They couldn’t kiss, not right now. They were drunk and Lexa had finally lowered her walls. This would only make them come up again, thicker and higher. 

Before Clarke could pull back, Lexa sighed into her mouth and laced their fingers together. _Oh fuck,_ Clarke thought, her body aching with the effort of not doing anything rash. 

Lexa pulled back before Clarke did, eyes still closed, and rested her head on Clarke’s shoulder, humming the same tune from earlier. Neither of them spoke. Clarke wasn’t sure if she should mention what just happened or write it off as a drunken mistake, even though it felt like anything but. 

“I’m so tired,” Lexa murmured. 

“Let’s go, you work tomorrow morning, don’t you?” 

“Mmmmm,” the girl hummed in affirmation. _The last of the gin hit her hard and fast._

Clarke helped the now sleepy Lexa to her feet. They tackled the ladder slowly and when on solid ground once more, Clarke wrapped her arm around the brunette’s waist in case she started to stumble. The made their way to Lexa’s dorm, not speaking much as Lexa was at risk of falling asleep in Clarke’s arms. Once they reached the door, Lexa fiddled with it a bit before opening it wide and staggering in. She turned and offered Clarke a happy, albeit sleepy smile. 

“Goodnight, Clarke.” 

Clarke’s mind was still reeling from their kiss. She wanted to talk about it, ask if it meant anything or if Clarke should guard her heart tomorrow. She wanted to know if Lexa had seen her lean in and meant to kiss her. Was it intentional? An accident? A mistake? 

But looking at Lexa, Clarke knew they couldn’t talk about it now. Too much had already been talked about, and Lexa was about to pass out in her entryway. So, Clarke grinned at her, wished her a goodnight, and once Lexa had closed the door she began to walk back to her own hut. 

Clarke’s brain was whirring as she got to her room. Thoughts about everything that had happened that day were flying through her head, most of them pertaining to Lexa. As she stumbled to her bed, (the alcohol choosing that moment to hinder her motor skills) she thought about her recent breakup. 

_I didn’t think I could be with someone after what Finn did to me, so how is it that I’m hopelessly falling for this girl. How is it that this strong, stoic, secretly adorable lifeguard happened to choose to dance with me at the one party she went to for the first time in five years…_

Clarke didn’t know if that made her lucky, or if it would cause more her pain than joy in the long run, but she resolved to think about it another time, as the world faded black and sleep came quickly.


	7. Friends Kiss Friends, Right?

Clarke woke up groggily. Her head was fuzzy and her tongue felt heavy. As she lay in bed, she pieced together flashes of the previous night. Once she remembered some of it, it all came back at once: a bottle of gin, a beautiful girl, a tragic story, a friendly kiss.

 _’Friendly kiss’ is an appropriate term, right?_ she thought to herself. _Because we’re friends. And sometimes friends kiss their friends when they’re drunk and want to comfort them._

It felt like a hollow argument. Clarke knew she’d wanted to kiss Lexa from the moment they’d met. She didn’t imagine it would ever happen, and she hadn’t thought it’d be on the roof of the resort after hearing Lexa talk about her dead girlfriend.

_Wow, I’m heartless._

It was obvious that Lexa was still in pain over Costia’s death. Yet Clarke had made the move to kiss her anyway. Admittedly, on the cheek, which Clarke had intended to be platonic. Lexa had been the one to turn into it, but Clarke should’ve pulled away. Should’ve known the alcohol could make Lexa impulsive. Clarke was suddenly very scared that the events of last night would push the girl away.

She groaned and pulled herself out of bed. The clock read 11am. She lazily got dressed into a tank top and shorts, fantasizing about breakfast in order to keep her mind off of Lexa. She didn’t want to dwell on the fact that the girl could decide to ignore her for the rest of her stay. Or confront her. Clarke only had three more days and she wanted them to be as pleasant, entertaining, and fun-filled as possible.

Clarke stepped out the front door of her room and out into the heat. The sun was shining, as always. Clarke, still not sick of it, turned her head to the sky and smiled wide. She meandered down the boardwalk towards the resort, all the while basking in the intense warmth. She revelled in the way that simple sunshine and blue water could make her feel so blissful. Something about being so far away from her problems helped as well. She saw the appeal in living here, especially if one was trying to escape their old life. She tried not to think about Lexa doing just that.

As she reached the beach, she tried to keep an eye out for Lexa, hoping to sneak around the lifeguard if need be. She didn’t spot her as she got closer, so she assumed the girl wasn’t working and crossed the beach. About halfway, she felt someone tap her shoulder.

“Hey, cutie.”

Clarke whipped around at the voice, and sure enough, Lexa stood behind her. The lifeguard had her uniform on and her hair was up in a messy ponytail. The loose strands of hair that fell around Lexa’s face were infuriatingly cute, and the girl’s wide smile didn’t help Clarke’s poor heart either.

She opened her mouth to say something but it was suddenly very hard to speak. Between trying not to think about kissing the girl the night before and fighting the urge to kiss her again, Clarke found it hard to formulate any kind of speech.

Lexa, on the other hand, seemed to be in perfect health, despite the vast amounts of gin she’d consumed not 12 hours ago. The lifeguard was beaming at Clarke, her eyebrow quirked at Clarke’s silence, and her hands on her hips.

“See something you like, Clarke?”

Clarke’s already severely dazed and dehydrated brain was completely taken aback by the sudden flirtatious tone in Lexa’s voice. She struggled to make some clever remark in return but she was still hung up on the way Lexa had said her name: dripping with suggestions and subtle innuendo.

“I see I’ve caught you five minutes out of bed then,” Lexa laughed. “You’re probably going to get some breakfast, but when you’re all finished up you should swing by again, I’ve got news for you.” With that, the brunette smiled another dazzling smile, winked, and walked off.

Clarke managed to pick her jaw up off the ground once Lexa had turned away. Her brain started working again and she longed to go after the girl, but her stomach growled and she knew she’d have to settle for stopping by later as Lexa had requested.

 _That was flirting, right?_ Clark ran the scenario through her head as she made her way to the restaurant near the beach. Lexa had been happy to see her, not avoiding her like she’d expected. It crossed Clarke’s mind then that maybe the most likely reason for Lexa’s friendliness was because she didn’t remember much of the previous night.

 _She probably has no idea we kissed. What if she doesn’t even remember telling me about Costia._ Clarke wasn’t sure how that made her feel. _On the one hand, I could pretend like that kiss never happened and things wouldn't be awkward. But Lexa might not remember telling me so much about her life, and I don’t want to pretend that I don’t know those things about her. Those things are important to me._

Clarke was still deep in thought as she sat down at a table, her eyes scanning the menu without taking anything in. _Should I bring up last night and see what she says? Or I could pretend that I don’t remember anything either…_

She distractedly ordered a mimosa and an omelette when the server came by and decided to pull out her small sketchbook she’d brought with her that morning. She began a crude sketch of the central volcano that made up most of Bora Bora’s landmass, always visible from the resort as it towered over the barrier island that surrounded it.

It would be easy, Clarke thought, to imagine that the island, in the middle of the ocean as it was, as some part of a large sea creature, dozing just beneath the water. Perhaps one day, it would awaken and with a mighty roar and would dive deep beneath the sea. That train of thought made Clarke sad however, thinking of all the people that would be dragged down into the depths. She decided to stop thinking about the island as a fantastical creature and instead focused on her breakfast.

She doodled as she ate, drawing other parts of Bora Bora besides the volcano. She sketched the huts and the boardwalk. She did her best to sketch from memory the view of the beach party from the roof. That, in turn, led to a doodle of Lexa laying on the roof, staring wistfully at the stars.

It was, of course, at that moment that Octavia found her.

“Cute drawing, Princess. Try to make your crush more obvious,” the girl remarked sarcastically.

Clarke hastily covered the sketchbook with her napkin and glared up at her friend.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Of course you don’t. Sorry Clarke, but I’m not going to play cupid between you and Lexa, she still intimidates the shit out of me half the time. You’re on your own for this one.”

“Don’t you have work to do?” Clarke demanded, a little too aggressively. Octavia, still standing by the table side, raised a hand to her chest in shock.

“Yes, but I just thought I would say ‘hi’, Grumpy Pants.”

Clarke softened and let out a sigh. “Sorry O, I’m a little on edge this morning is all. How’re you?”

The girl smiled widely at her. “I’m great, just off to ferry some departing guests to the airport. Have you seen Lexa today, by the way? She’s made plans for us tonight. Don’t ask me why Lincoln and I are invited, I’d assumed she’d just want to be with you but I guess it’s a double date or something.”

“Octavia, please, we aren’t dating,” Clarke whined.

“Fine, but if that’s the case then stop making heart eyes at each other. You aren’t around here much longer so either make a move or don’t, but keep that in mind maybe? Three days isn’t a whole lot of time,” Octavia warned, before excusing herself and hurrying off to the dock.

 _Like I didn’t already know that_ , Clarke thought to herself, exasperated. _No moves though. We are just friends and it’s going to stay that way, or else it’ll just make leaving so much harder._

Clarke finished her breakfast and made her way back down to the beach. She felt restless, her hands fidgeting and stomach fluttering (despite the wonderful omelette). She caught sight of Lexa and felt the familiar quickening beat of her heart, her breathing becoming more rapid, and her lips curving into a smile.

It still caught her by surprise, her body’s response, but it wasn’t at all unwelcome. In fact, it was reassuring for Clarke to know she’d already, in some way, moved on from Finn. She didn’t feel sad about it anymore, just a faint annoyance that she’d have to move all her stuff out of their place when she got back. She took a deep breath and sighed happily, calming her nerves and relishing the freedom of life without Finn.

 _Letting go has never been this easy_. She had a fairly good idea why it had been that way, looking at Lexa. The way she felt towards the girl had changed over the short time she’d known her. What had at first been all animalistic attraction and lust had grown into an emotional attachment and desire for companionship. Clarke didn’t want to think about what that would mean in three days time. Instead she just kept her eyes fixed on Lexa, and called out her name.

Lexa turned around at the sound of Clarke’s voice, all smiles and unbearably toned arms, Clarke didn’t fail to notice.

“Hey Clarke, a little more lively now that you’ve got some food in you?”

Clarke blushed but quickly replied, “Just not used to drinking a whole bottle of gin in one night. I probably haven’t done that since freshman year.”

“Fair enough. I, on the other hand, am a gin connoisseur, and can totally handle my alcohol,” Lexa replied cockily.

Clarke couldn’t stop herself from speaking up. “Oh, you think so?” She teased, and didn’t fail to notice Lexa smirking and biting her lip in response. “If I remember correctly, someone here was at risk of tripping over herself when I found her by the palm trees last night.”

Clarke couldn’t control the shiver that went down her spine as she said ‘last night’. Something about the words made it sound more suggestive than it should be.

Lexa rounded on her, taking two steps forward into Clarke’s personal space, staring down at her. “Well, I distinctly remember you asking that same drunk girl if she wanted to go somewhere, and I could’ve sworn it sounded like a very forward request.” Lexa licked her lips and Clarke was finding it hard to remember her list of reasons why kissing Lexa was not a good idea.

In fact, the only thing that stopped her from doing just that, was her need to prove Lexa wrong.

“It was not that kind of request!“ _Although I would gladly make that kind of request any other time_ “I was being chivalrous,” Clarke insisted. She looked up at Lexa defiantly, trying to focus on one of the girl’s perfect eyelashes instead of fawning over her gorgeous face, arms, and chest that were mere inches from Clarke’s.

“Chivalry is dead, Clarke,” Lexa purred.

“You’re telling that to the girl who carried you home when you were too drunk to walk.”

Lexa’s piercing gaze softened at that, and she took a step back. Clarke let out a shaky breath. The proximity had been nice, but too intense and unpredictable.

“I know, I’m only teasing you,” Lexa smiled. “Thank you for walking me home last night.”

“It was no big deal,” Clarke replied offhandedly. She didn’t want to get into a detailed conversation about the events just prior to that walk home.

“It just hit me pretty hard after I finished up the last of the Tanqueray.”

Clarke laughed nervously. “Yeah, me too. It gets a little blurry after that.”

“Not for me,” Lexa replied, a smile playing at her lips. “I remember it all as well as if I were sober.”

Clarke gulped, trying to keep her eyes on Lexa but finding the sand in her toes suddenly very fascinating.

“You know,” Lexa drawled, and Clarke was very glad Lexa had moved away earlier, or else the lifeguard might’ve been able to hear Clarke’s heartbeat pounding and the gasp she let out. “Friends sometimes kiss friends, Clarke, it’s not big deal-” _Friends, right? Friends._ “-but gin tastes much better off the lips of a pretty girl.”

Clarke’s eyes widened and she looked up at Lexa with a panicked expression. And she couldn’t mistake Lexa’s flirting for what it was, not now. The lifeguard’s eyes were fixed on Clarke, gauging her reaction.

Clarke could hear Octavia’s voice in her head, telling her to make a move or not, but remember she only had a few days left. _Three days isn’t enough,_ she realized. Three days would never be enough, not for Clarke. It was too late for this to start now, better to avoid it all together. Every fibre in her being screamed at her to make a move, to pull Lexa in and kiss her hard. To make the last three days something unforgettable.

Instead, Clarke shook her head vigorously at Lexa’s words.

“It wasn’t like that, Lexa. I- I get kind of touchy-feely when I’m drunk and we had just been having a serious conversation and I wanted to comfort you or something, because we’re friends.” She enunciated ‘friends’ more than necessary.

Lexa’s eyes scanned Clarke’s face again before she nodded, saying, “I know, Clarke. Like I said, friends kiss friends sometimes, it’s not a big deal.”

 _But it is a big deal._ Clarke wanted to scream.

“Anyways,” Lexa carried on, “We, being Lincoln, Octavia, and myself, are going to Vaitape tonight, would you like to join us?”

“Vaitape?”

“It’s the city on the mainland, although ‘city’ is a bit of an exaggeration. It’s more like a town,” Lexa explained.

_So this is the ‘double date’ Octavia meant. Not that it’s a double date at all, really. Just four friends going out._

“Yeah, I’d love to join,” Clarke replied. “Are we going somewhere in particular, do I need to bring anything?”

“Just you, and your gin-loving self,” Lexa winked at her.

“Oh no, it’s a drinking kind of thing is it?” Clarke winced. She wasn't sure what was worse, the possibility of a real hangover the next morning, or the very unfortunate possibility that she’d make some stupid, drunken decision with Lexa.

“Clarke, you might not believe me when I say that I don’t drink often-“ Clarke rolled her eyes “-but when I do, it’s at the Mountain Man’s bar in Vaitape.”

Clarke chuckled at Lexa’s claim. “Okay, count me in. When do we head out?”

“Around 7:30, meet at the docks.”

“Sounds good, I’ll be there.”

“Great!” Lexa grinned. Clarke tried not to blush, knowing that ecstatic smile was for her. “Sorry, Clarke, I’ve got to get back to work now.”

Clarke nodded and waved as Lexa turned and walked in the direction of the activities centre. _Well, that was not at all what I’d expected,_ Clarke thought to herself. The worst case scenario would’ve been Lexa ignoring her. Clarke had not at all been prepared for the onslaught of flirtatious remarks and lingering gazes that Lexa had directed at her instead.

Excited about the upcoming evening, Clarke back to her hut with a spring in her step. She would probably lounge in the sun and finally start the book she’d brought with her to kill off the rest of the afternoon. When she got back to her room, however, she was hit with a sudden burst of inspiration, and she set herself up outside with her larger sketchbook. Working from memory, she began to outline the strong cheekbones and fierce jawline that were Lexa’s, all the while humming to herself the same tune Lexa had been humming the night before.

______

 As 7 o’ clock rolled around, Clarke finished getting ready for her night out. She’d showered and left her hair to its natural curls before donning the usual tank top and shorts that went with the Bora Bora lifestyle. She threw on a nice pair of sandals before dashing out the door. She instinctively thought to grab her phone, only to shake her head at her own reflexes and walk out the door.

It had been refreshing to be able to go so long without being on her phone. Sure, the first few days took some adjusting, as she’d been expecting numerous calls and texts from confused friends and an outraged mother, but now it was a weight off her shoulders. _Being constantly connected is exhausting_ , she decided as she set off for the docks.

When she arrived, she saw Lexa and Lincoln talking politely while Octavia was expertly bringing the boat up to dock. Clarke didn’t fail to notice the intricate braids in Lexa’s hair, and she briefly wondered if it was a Bora Bora thing, remembering Octavia’s hair when she’d seen her on her first day.

When the boat docked, Lincoln stepped in first and Lexa turned around to check for Clarke, who jogged the rest of the way down the dock so as not to keep them waiting. Lexa smiled at Clarke and held her hand our for her to use as support as she stepped into the boat. Clarke took it, hoping her hands weren’t too sweaty, and lowered herself in. Lexa followed and they sat across from each other while Lincoln took the front passenger seat so he could hold hands with Octavia.

“We did a good job there,” Lexa commented, nodding towards the lovebirds.

“It’s nice to see her so happy.”

“Lincoln has definitely improved as well. He actually talks to people now and has more fun,” Lexa joked, but Lincoln didn’t hear her.

“You know, the same could be said for you, from what I’ve heard,” Clarke added.

Lexa looked down for a moment, as if embarrassed, before meeting Clarke’s gaze. “Yes, well, the company on the island has significantly improved as of late.”

“You can just say it, you know,” Clarke spoke softly. She wasn’t sure exactly what she wanted to hear, only that she knew Lexa had to say something.

The brunette rolled her eyes, aloof once again. “So I like spending time with you, sue me,” she sassed.

As Octavia steered them out of the bay on into the more open waters of the lagoon, their speed picked up and conversation became more difficult. The wind was whipping Clarke’s hair around and Lexa’s hair, even in its many braids, still fell victim to the strong gust.

Clarke shivered, the cold air nipping at her bare arms, catching Lexa’s eye. The brunette quickly hobbled over and sat next to Clarke, somewhat shielding her from the wind. Clarke shot her a grateful look, not wanting to have to yell at her. Lexa nodded in understanding, wrapped her arm around Clarke’s shoulders, and pulled her in tighter. Clarke couldn’t help the warmth that spread from her gut through to the rest of her body, even though she knew it’d been nothing more than a friendly gesture.

As they cruised around the island, Clarke tried to take in the scenery around her. From the resort, the island’s volcano had looked like a single, rocky spire stretching into the sky. From the new angle, however, Clarke could see now that there was indeed was large spire, but a few smaller ones as well. Together they created a sloping ridge of rock until it met the tree line further below.

 _This island is amazing_ , Clarke thought to herself, not for the first time on her trip. She loved how she could look to one side and see palm trees, white sand, and the distant ocean, while on her other side rose the large volcanic remains and bright green trees of the mainland.

She was in the middle of looking back and forth for maybe the third time when she caught sight of Lexa, also staring at the mountain. The evening sun was shining at the perfect angle, making the girl’s tanned skin glow and giving her face an air of regality. Clarke found that she couldn’t stop staring at the girl, and all notions of the island’s majesty fled her mind, replaced with the appreciation of something, someone, more beautiful sitting right next to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please don't hesitate to let me know what you thought. the next 4 chapters I am really looking forward to writing so here's hoping we have no more long waits for them.


	8. The Consequences of Stargazing

As the boat bumped up against the dock at Vaitape, Clarke snapped out of her daydreams and slid away from Lexa. The brunette looked over at her with a questioning glance but didn’t object to the movement.

“We’re back, bitches!” Octavia cried as she jumped off the boat and thumped her feet on the dock. Lexa rolled her eyes and turned to Clarke.

“Sometimes I think your friend is insane,” she muttered, before jumping onto the dock herself. Clarke followed suit and Lincoln brought up the rear.

“She’s the best kind of insane,” Clarke beamed, ruffling Octavia’s wild hair.

“I’m right here, you know,” the girl spoke up.

“Come on, Mountain Man’s is just up the street,” Lexa said, ushering them onwards.

As they walked excitedly towards their destination, conversation flowed easily. Octavia began rambling about some guest who’d spent the entire boat ride to the resort bragging about their hidden talent of being able to discern whether milk had come from a carton, jug, bag, or bottle without knowing before hand, simply by tasting it. Lincoln took over the storytelling reigns from her, ranting about some rowdy guests who had tried to jump off the deck railing of their huts and had managed to snap said railing in half.

“What about you, Lexa? Any good stories from today for us?” Lincoln asked.

“Not yet, but I’m sure I’ll have some after tonight,” she replied, her eyes lingering on Clarke.

Sure enough, the bar was only a short walk from the docks. The sign at the entrance read “The Mountain Man’s” in large, cursive writing.

“What kind of bar is this?” Clarke whispered to Lexa as they walked through saloon-style swinging doors. Inside, the main bar was set up in the middle of the building while tables surrounded it, nestled against the walls. All the windows were open and Clarke could see a deck that wound its way along the back and sides of the building. The bar wasn’t too packed, about two-thirds of the tables were full.

Before Lexa could answer Clarke’s question, a tall man at the bar turned around and smiled wide at the newcomers.

“Well, if it isn’t my number one paying customers, and obviously my favourite troublemakers,” the kindly, older man greeted them.

“Clarke, this is Dante, the Mountain Man’s one and only bartender,” Lexa introduced.

“It’s nice to meet you, sir,” Clarke offered politely.

“Please, ‘Dante’ will do.” The man smiled at her. “What could I get you to drink, Clarke?

“Actually, Dante,” Lexa cut in, “I was hoping we could break out the Nolet’s tonight.”

Dante’s eyebrows shot up, and Clarke could’ve sworn a few people around them gasped. Lincoln coughed awkwardly before insisting that it “wouldn’t be necessary”. The moment passed quickly enough however, and Dante easily slid back into his cheerful demeanour.

“Lexa, my dear, you know I’ve been waiting for you to try a taste of that gin ever since you first came here professing yourself as a gin connoisseur, but I must confess I eventually gave up expecting it. Now, you’ve caught me entirely by surprise.”

“What’s Nolet’s?” Clarke interrupted.

Lexa gasped, feigning shock. “Clarke! How could you betray me?”

“Am I supposed to know?”

“Nolet’s Reserve is the most expensive gin in the world. At about 50% alcohol, it costs roughly $700 US dollars a bottle,” Lexa explained.

Clarke’s jaw dropped. “And you think we should be drinking that? First of all, what’s the occasion? Secondly, it’s got to be crazy expensive! There’s no way we could afford even a tasting of it.”

“Relax, Clarke. I’ve got it covered,” Lexa said dismissively, turning back to Dante. “Clarke and I will each have a Nolet’s, but you’re the true connoisseur here so I think you should decide how best to drink it. With tonic, ginger ale, on rocks, it’s totally up to you.”

“Of course, Lexa. Coming right up. And for you two?” Dante turned to Lincoln and Octavia.

“We aren’t nearly that pretentious,” Octavia ribbed, eliciting an affronted “hmmph” from Lexa. “We’re feeling beer tonight, right?” Octavia glanced at Lincoln, who nodded. “Awesome, two of your best ales please.”

“Absolutely,” Dante said with a smile before turning and disappearing into a back room.

 _Probably off to get that special gin from a safe hidden in a secret room behind a bookcase. $700 a bottle! What is Lexa thinking?_ Clarke refrained from voicing her thoughts to Lexa, however. The brunette had been adamant, and Clarke didn’t want to offend her. _She knows what she’s doing. Maybe she just never had someone she wanted to share it with_ , Clarke wondered, knowing that train of thought was only a fantasy, but enjoying the way it made her heart swell nonetheless.

Octavia was feeling picky with tables and insisted on taking a booth next to an open window so that, in her words, “everyone could sit in padded chairs and also gaze outside in the event of any long, awkward silences.” Lexa turned at looked at Clarke exasperatedly as if to say ‘I told you’ about Octavia’s questionable sanity, but Clarke just stuck her tongue out at the lifeguard before sitting across from her friend. Lincoln sat down next to Octavia and threw his arm over her shoulders immediately, leaving Lexa the open space next to Clarke.

 _Which makes sense, obviously, because Lincoln and Octavia are together and should sit next to each other, not across form each other_ , Clarke assured herself, trying to ignore Octavia’s voice in her head repeating ‘double date’ over and over again.

Clarke was drawn out of her reverie by Lincoln’s sudden laughter, and she turned to see if it was at her expense. She was surprised to find Lexa blushing with her eyes in her lap instead.

“Did I miss something?” Clarke asked, curious.

“No, no, we were just reminiscing about last time we were here, right Lexa?” Lincoln explained.

Lexa looked like she wanted to jump out of the window and make a run for it. Her eyes darted around for possible escapes before landing on Lincoln once again. Her face adopted its stoic, lethal mask and she shot him the most threatening look in her repertoire.

“Say another word and I will spill your deepest secret.”

Lincoln gasped. “You wouldn’t dare!”

There was silence for a few moments before Lincoln shouted, “Lexa got kicked out for dancing on the bar!”

Clarke gasped, unsure if she should laugh or be suddenly very concerned for Lincoln’s life. Octavia, on the other hand, immediately started cackling.

“Lincoln used to be a fire dancer!”

“Lexa!” the man whined.

It was Clarke’s turn to laugh now, as Lincoln and Lexa bickered like school kids and Octavia’s laughter was replaced by a look of part shock and part arousal at this newfound information about her man.

“Excuse me?!” the girl demanded.

As the table quieted down, Dante brought their drinks over. He had chosen to serve the gin simply over ice. _Probably a purist_ , Clarke thought to herself. She smiled and thanked him before turning to Lexa. The brunette was looking at her expectantly, her glass held up. Clarke got the message, moving to tap their glasses together before cautiously bringing the drink to her mouth.

 _Don’t think about how expensive this is, just that a pretty girl got it for you and she’s looking at you while she’s drinking and not breaking eye contact- wow okay I just got very turned on- Holy shit._ She voiced the last bit of her thought process out loud.

“Holy shit, this is… something else,” she said in awe, tearing her eyes away from Lexa to study the liquid in her glass.

“Only the best,” Lexa replied.

“I would hope so, at $700 a bottle,” Clarke teased.

“Excuse me,” Octavia interrupted, “are we forgetting what just happened? Lincoln and fire dancing?”

Lincoln groaned as Lexa grinned mischievously and launched into a tale about his fire dancing years. Clarke listened to the story politely but her attention was mostly on Lexa. The way the girl’s face lit up and her eyes shone as she talked. Clarke couldn’t help but trail her eyes to Lexa’s lips, their perfect curves entirely too inviting. _I am a goner_ , she thought to herself as she let out a shaky breath. Lexa’s effect on her was so unfair.

“You know, despite setting the activity centre on fire-“ Clarke may have missed more of the story than she thought “-you were actually pretty good,” Lexa concluded.

“Maybe, but that chapter of my life is behind me now. You can only set fire to so many things before its time to find a new hobby,” Lincoln said, before adding, “Wow, I sounded like a total pyromaniac. I’m not. I’m sorry.”

Octavia looked like she still hadn’t gotten over the initial shock of Lincoln being a fire dancer, and Clarke thought if it was up to Octavia she’d probably drag Lincoln out of the bar and find someplace secluded to, as they’d phrased it, ‘put some motion in his ocean’.

Getting that mental image out of her head proved hard work, but not nearly as hard as it was for Clarke to remind herself that this was not a double date. It was too easy to believe that the tanned, grinning girl sitting next to her could be, in another life, her girlfriend. It was too easy to think that maybe, with just a little more time, this could be something really special. Better than anything Clarke had ever had with Finn. _This is the sort of thinking you’re supposed to be avoiding_ , she chided herself.

As the night progressed, everyone got a little bit louder and little less concerned about boundaries. Octavia had, at one point, leaned across the table to kiss Clarke on the corner on the mouth, much to Lincoln and (Clarke wanted to believe) Lexa’s discomfort. Octavia was now almost entirely sprawled in Lincoln’s lap, making love eyes at him while still managing to hold a conversation with Lexa. The lifeguard and Clarke had also somewhat gravitated towards each other. At first, it had been just slight brushes of their legs, but now their sides were fully pressed up against one another. Lexa glanced over at Clarke often, Clarke would see her do it out of the corner of her eye. She was sure Lexa had caught her doing the same more than once.

Eventually, their festivities came to a close. Dante brought their bill and before Clarke could make any move on it Lexa snatched it with reflexes surprisingly quick for someone so tipsy. She paid for the Nolet’s, much to Clarke’s discontent.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll pay me back somehow,” Lexa purred with a sly wink.

 _Flirtatious, hot girls will be the death of me_.

As their group walked back to the boat, Clarke found herself side by side with Lexa as the happy couple walked ahead of them. Lincoln and Octavia fit together perfectly, her arm wrapped around his waist and his arm around her shoulders. Clarke briefly thought about how she and Finn had never fit like that. Their arms were a clumsy mess, their respective heights didn’t allow for any cutesy stuff like that. They could hold hands, sure, but everyone held hands and what was so special about hand holding when you could be so much closer than just an interlocking of fingers.

It was at that moment that Lexa’s hand brushed against Clarke’s, and a second later Clarke felt soft fingers tentatively threading themselves through hers. Her breathe caught in her throat, a small gasp escaped her lips, and she fought against the urge to stare down at her hands to make sure it was real. _I take it back,_ she thought in wonder, _holding hands can be pretty great too._

Clarke heard Lexa sigh happily and the two kept walking, their hands clasped together. Clarke’s heart was racing and she hoped her palm wasn’t getting too sweaty. Lexa’s hands, by comparison, were perfect. Soft, yet strong, and every now and again her thumb would rub small circles on Clarke’s knuckles.

They reached the dock all too soon for Clarke’s liking, and Lexa dropped her hand to help Lincoln untie the boat. They all clambered in unsteadily, in part due to the rocking of the boat, but mostly thanks to the alcohol. Lincoln assured everyone that he was sober enough to drive the boat, and they set off back around the island to the resort.

The boat ride passed quickly and in silence. The air was cool and the lagoon was lit up with lights from the various resorts. Clarke could hear multiple beach parties as they sped by, and she fleetingly wondered how many rambunctious vacationers would be hooking up with fellow guests. How many one night stands would turn into week-long flings. She wondered if they were all based on meaningless sex, or if anyone fell in love. _That’s not what this is,_ she told herself forcefully, daring a glance at Lexa. The tiny voice in the back of her head wondered how long it would be until it was, but whether it meant the meaningless sex or falling in love, she wasn’t sure.

As they arrived at their resort’s dock, Lincoln jumped out and held out his hand for Octavia. Meanwhile, Lexa climbed from the back of the boat to the driver’s seat and motioned for Clarke to sit next to her.

“Come on,” Lexa insisted, when Clarke didn’t move.

“Are we going somewhere?” Clarke asked.

“Mmhmm,” Lexa hummed nonchalantly, already turning back to the dash of the boat.

From the dock, Lincoln and Octavia said their goodnights, Octavia wolf whistling shamelessly as Lexa steered the boat back out into the lagoon.

“Where are we going?” Clarke asked, as she moved to the passenger seat next to Lexa.

“You’ll see,” she replied absently.

Silence fell again between them, and Clarke thought Lexa might actually be nervous. Which Clarke thought was totally cute and endearing, but caught her off guard. _She’s never nervous…not around me._ The lifeguard kept stealing glances at Clarke, and her fingers drummed the steering wheel restlessly.

Lexa took them across the lagoon and back toward the main island. As they got further and further from the beach, the lights became dimmer and Clarke gazed into the night sky. The stars were out now in full force, and the sheer magnitude of them made her gasp.

“I know,” Lexa murmured from the driver’s seat, not taking her eyes off the water in front of her.

Lights mounted on the front of the boat had turned on, and they were slowing down. A small, square dock suddenly came up beside them, and Lexa turned off the engine and set to tying them off. Clarke asked if she could help but Lexa just handed her a flashlight and told her to watch herself getting to the dock.

It was only difficult because the dock was floating up and down with the waves, and also at water level. The resort’s dock had been a foot or two above the surface, but this dock was much lower and it took all of Clarke’s mildly impaired coordination to step down from the boat and not fall over onto the dock. Lexa followed and beckoned her to sit down on the wood next to her. Clarke flicked the flashlight off once she sat down. It felt like an injustice to the stars to have the meagre flashlight in their presence.

“It isn’t much,” Lexa commented suddenly, “but it’s my little getaway.”

“Lexa, you live in Bora Bora. I wouldn’t think you’d need another getaway,” Clarke replied teasingly, before adding, “its beautiful.” She stared into the night sky in awe.

Lexa laid down on her back and Clarke followed suit, the two brushing sides and gazing at the stars.

“Hey, is that the southern cross?” Clarke asked. The constellation wasn’t visible in the northern hemisphere.

“Sure is,” Lexa answered. “And that there is Orion.” She lifted a hand to point at the cluster of stars in question.

“Whoa,” Clarke breathed, “the star marking his shoulder is so red.”

“That’s Betelgeuse. It’s a red supergiant, one of the brightest in the night sky.”

“I’ve never seen it that red before,” Clarke spoke with fascination.

“Its because of the total lack of cities out here. Less light, less pollution. Sure makes for wonderful stargazing,” Lexa remarked.

“It’s incredible.”

For a few minutes, they fell back into a peaceful silence, until Clarke sat up and sighed heavily.

“What’s wrong?” Lexa asked, sitting up next to her. The two were now perched on the edge of the dock, feet dangling into the water.

“This place is amazing. I’m just sad to be going so soon,” Clarke said softly.

Lexa hummed thoughtfully. “You should come back then,” she answered.

Clarke couldn’t help the warmth that spread through her body at Lexa’s words, but in her mind she knew they were just out of courtesy. _Like when someone tells you that they miss you and you reply ‘I miss you too’, even if you don’t._

Despite that, Clarke turned to look at the brunette next to her. She nodded slightly, whispering, “maybe I will.”

Lexa’s eyes scanned Clarke’s for a moment, before dropping to her lips. The lifeguards own lips were parted, and Clarke found herself leaning forward until she could feel Lexa’s breath on her mouth. Clarke wanted to shut her eyes and close distance between them, but after the previous night on the roof, she didn’t want to push things too far. That is, until she felt Lexa’s soft fingers tracing along her shoulder blade. The touch sent shivers through Clarke’s spine, and that was the moment she knew she was a goner. Her eyes fluttered shut and she dared to lean forward a little more.

That was when the soft tracing on her shoulder turned into forceful shoving and Clarke yelped as she slipped off the dock into the water. She came up spluttering to the sound of Lexa’s laughter. _This is a familiar scene,_ she thought.

“Two can play at that game,” Clarke murmured under her breath before lunging forward and tugging at Lexa’s legs. The brunette shrieked before tumbling into the water. Clarke cackled maniacally as Lexa surfaced.

“Clarke, you ass!”

They floated there for a moment, treading water calmly, until Lexa slapped the water and splashed Clarke across the face. Clarke returned the favour, and the two kept on like that until they had floated close enough to accidentally hit each other. Before that could happen though, Lexa caught Clarke’s arm in mid-air.

“Ah, ah, ah. What now?” Lexa taunted.

“You don’t want to know,” Clarke replied in her best impression of Lexa’s menacing voice.

“Maybe I do,” Lexa breathed, so low Clarke barely heard her.

Clarke didn’t have time to formulate a reply before she felt Lexa’s lips on hers. She also didn’t have time to think about her actions before she immediately kissed her back. And she definitely didn’t have time to register the consequences of bringing her hand up to Lexa’s cheek and tucking the girl’s now soaking hair behind her ear.

Instead, she found the time to appreciate every possible facet of Lexa kissing her. Lexa’s lips were entirely too kissable, Clarke decided, as she felt them envelop hers again. Lexa’s hand had found its way around Clarke’s neck, keeping them from floating apart. _As if I ever could_.

Lexa kissed her with a soft reverence, like maybe she couldn’t believe it was happening either. She never pushed or prodded, she seemed only to want Clarke’s lips on hers in the gentlest way. It was the most delicately Clarke had ever been kissed.

Clarke felt Lexa pull back, and she let her. She knew better than to push this. _Whatever ‘this’ is._

Lexa smiled at her before nodding back to the dock.

“Come on,” she said, “it’s hard work treading water for this long.”

They pulled themselves up onto the dock, weighed down by their wet clothes. Lexa laid down on her back and motioned for Clarke to lay next to her. As she did, she felt Lexa curl her arms around her and pull her tight to her side.

Clarke longed to break the silence, to talk about what had just happened, but she found her lips unresponsive. It was all too good to be true. Talking about it would only serve to shatter their fragile fantasy. She thought maybe that was why Lexa had yet to say anything either.

 _This can’t happen again,_ Clarke told herself, but even as she thought those words, she knew she wouldn’t stop herself if the opportunity arose again.

She couldn’t resist Lexa. And with only two days left, it was a ticking time-bomb. But on the dock, none of that mattered. Clarke let herself imagine, just for the night, that she was never going to leave that dock. It made her unimaginably happy, and she sighed peacefully into Lexa’s side, dosing off to the rhythmic rise and fall of the lifeguard’s chest, and trying to commit to memory the feel of Lexa's lips on hers.


	9. See Something You Like?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke wakes up on the dock a little confused, but she finally gets the chance to draw Lexa's tattoos

Clarke woke groggily at dawn. It was still early, but the days were longer in Bora Bora than in Seattle, and the sun was eager to shine that morning. As per usual, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky to inhibit it, and it was only a few minutes before the sun broke the horizon and the world was lit up. 

Having momentarily forgotten where she was, Clarke tried to take stock of her surroundings before opening her eyes. She felt cool morning air ( _so I’m outside_ ) and she heard the gentle lapping of water nearby ( _I’m near water_ ). The uncomfortable surface she was on was wood, leaving her to assume she was on a dock. 

_Dock… the dock. The dock with Lexa- oh shit._

It all came back in an instant. The bar, the not double-date, the stargazing, the kiss in the water. Clarke’s body wanted to linger on that, as she felt her pulse race at the thought of Lexa’s lips and butterflies stirred in her stomach. Her mind, however, wanted to push that thought away. _This wasn’t supposed to happen_ , she panicked. 

The last thing she realized, although it probably should’ve been the first, was that she was pressed up against someone. _Lexa_. 

Sure enough, the brunette was behind Clarke, an arm draped over her waist and her body curled around Clarke’s. Clarke couldn’t help but revel in the way they fit together. _Lazy Sunday mornings with her would come so easy…_ , she thought, before she could push it away. _Damn it,_ she sighed mentally. _I’m so fucked._

At that moment she felt Lexa stir behind her. Clarke held her breath, waiting for the swift recoil and gasp of shock she was sure Lexa would emit. None came, however, as Lexa gingerly pulled her arm back from Clarke’s side and rolled onto her back. 

“I suppose we should head back,” Clarke heard her sigh. 

“Are you working today?” 

“Yes, in an hour or so,” Lexa replied. 

“Okay.” 

Clarke wasn’t sure if she should mention their kiss or not. _I didn’t say anything last time and all went well…_ With that in mind, she opted to keep her mouth shut. 

Lexa sighed again and heaved herself up. They untied the boat in partial silence, occasionally asking polite questions about dreams or making comments about the morning. The ride back to the resort continued in the same manner, and it wasn’t that it was awkward, per se, but Clarke felt like they were ignoring the elephant in the room. _Am I really the only one who feels this?_ she wondered. 

As they docked, Lexa tied off the boat and held her hand out for Clarke. Once on the dock, Lexa didn’t let go of Clarke’s hand, instead suddenly fascinated with it, refusing to meet Clarke’s gaze. 

“Look, about last night…,” she started, and Clarke tensed up immediately. “I shouldn’t have kissed you. I’m sorry, it was inappropriate of me.” 

Clarke tried to ignore the sharp pain in her chest and instead asked, “Did you want to?” 

Lexa didn’t reply at first, and when she did, it was barely a whisper. 

“Yes.” 

“Then I’m glad you did,” Clarke answered honestly. Inside of her there was a storm raging. She was feeling so many emotions; confusion, elation, anger, . _If you wanted to kiss me, why not do it earlier! We only have today and tomorrow left,_ she cursed, but she knew it wasn’t fair of her to blame Lexa. Her accusation could easily be reversed. She’d made no move on her part to further things. She’d told herself again and again not to risk it. 

“Maybe,” Lexa spoke softly, snapping Clarke out of her daydream, “but it shouldn’t happen again. Twice is pushing our luck. You are only here for two more days, today included.” 

Between the fresh, stabbing pain in her chest and the shock at Lexa’s acknowledgement of their first kiss, Clarke couldn’t find anything to say. She knew Lexa was right. _No more. No more flirting, kissing, or wishful thinking._

They stood like that for a few minutes, facing each other but not daring to look at each other. As Clarke had made no move to break the silence, Lexa did it first. She dropped Clarke’s hand and excused herself. 

“I have to get ready for my shift now, but I’ll be sure to swing by your hut later and say ‘hi’. Number 21, right?” 

“Yeah,” Clarke mumbled, before shaking her head to clear her mind, “Yeah, of course.” 

“Okay, well-“ Lexa paused, looking an awful lot like she wanted to give Clarke a quick kiss on the cheek. Clarke ignored the look, she couldn’t bear it. Lexa must’ve ignored the feeling because she simply waved awkwardly and said “see you later,” before dashing off. 

Clarke waited until Lexa had run out of sight before she began to trudge up the dock. _Feelings suck,_ she complained to herself. Because that’s what these were; real, genuine feelings. She couldn’t pretend anymore that it was just affectionate companionship or lustful curiosity. She wanted Lexa, in the simple way of having her all to herself. To kiss and hold and touch and it was driving Clarke insane to know that maybe Lexa could be hers, with just more time. 

As she wandered from the dock to the beach, she saw a familiar face trekking through the sand a little further ahead. Recognizing the person as Octavia, Clarke abandoned her dismal train of thought for the much better prospect of teasing her friend who was clearly in the middle of a walk of shame. 

“Hey O!” Clarke called out when she was close enough. “You must’ve had a good night!” 

Clarke came up beside her friend and gently elbowed her in the ribs. 

“Claaaaarke, it’s too early,” Octavia groaned. 

“Up late?” Clarke teased knowingly. “You and Lincoln certainly are wasting no time. It’s only been a few days since you discovered you were long lost lovers, after all.” 

“Long lost lovers always get their impassioned reunions,” Octavia replied simply, a sly grin on her face. “Besides,” she added, “when you’ve been as sexually frustrated as we’ve been around each other for a long enough time and the opportunity arises for mutually desired sex, you don’t waste time… Alcohol also helps.” 

Clarke chuckled at that. 

“So Clarke, any steamy details for me about your romantic boat ride last night?” 

Clarke’s laughter died in her throat, and she sighed heavily. 

“No… Well, we kissed-“ 

“What?!” 

“-But it doesn’t mean anything.” 

“How could it not mean anything?!” Octavia exclaimed. 

“Because I’m leaving in the day after tomorrow. There’s just not enough time, O,” Clarke said regretfully. 

Octavia paused for a moment, thinking things over, before she clapped Clarke on the back. 

“Yeah, it sucks that you’re leaving. And I’m sorry things aren’t going to work out the way you may have wanted. But if nothing else, at least you know that you played matchmaker with your best friend and it was a total success!” She declared, before blabbering something about “getting ready for work” and bolting off down the beach. 

Clarke rolled her eyes at her friend. She did, in fact, feel marginally better though. Octavia had that effect on her. She continued her way back to her room, and once she got there she instantly flopped down on her bed. She had been thinking of maybe taking her book onto the deck, finally starting it and tanning her afternoon away, but exhaustion got the better of her. 

_I haven’t even done anything remotely physical while I’ve been here, I don’t know why I’m so tired._ But if she was being honest with herself, she knew exactly why she was suddenly so exhausted. Between spending multiple hours in blistering heat, not drinking enough water (although apparently plenty of alcohol), and being rather emotionally strung out, Clarke could totally understand her body’s sudden need for a very long nap. She succumbed to it effortlessly, and fell asleep trying to think of anything other than Lexa, which, of course, brought the lifeguard to the forefront of her mind. 

______ 

A three hour nap, eight pancakes, another nap, and several lazy sketches later, Clarke realized it was almost 4:30 and Lexa would be off work soon. Clarke decided to shower, mostly just to kill time while she waited. She was nervous about being alone with Lexa. They had kissed, twice now, and Clarke knew she was swimming in dangerous waters by having the lifeguard over. She wanted to believe that she had excellent self-restraint, but she also knew she could be impulsive sometimes ( _like a trip to Bora Bora out of the blue_ ). 

Instead of keeping her mind off of Lexa, she’d managed to think about her non-stop, until a sudden knock at the door made her jump. _Shit, already?!_ She glanced at the clock: 5:45pm. _Damn it._ She scurried to the door, instantly ten times more anxious in those few seconds than she’d been in the past hour. 

_This is worse than that time Finn met my mom,_ she thought, before immediately shoving anything related to Finn out of her mind. _Now why can’t I just do that with thoughts of Lexa?_

Clarke opened the door, greeting Lexa warmly before ushering her inside. Lexa was wearing a loose, black tank top and jean shorts, her hair down and wild. 

“Good evening, Clarke,” she said politely. 

“Hi Lexa,” Clarke replied, hating how out of breath she sounded. Of course, Lexa had managed to make her forget to breathe. Of course, the lifeguard looked gorgeous in everything and probably out of it too. _Get ahold of yourself, Griffin._

“Nice place you’ve got here,” Lexa commented, a grin on her face as she looked around. 

“It’s a bit pricey for a struggling pre-med student, but the view makes it totally worth it. Come on.” 

Clarke tugged Lexa through the main room to the screen door at the other end of the hut. 

“Clarke, you know I’ve seen this view a million times before, right?” 

“Wow, Debbie Downer much? Bonnie Buzzkill,” Clarke teased as she wrenched the door open and stepped out onto the deck. 

She pulled up her deck chair, it being the only chair available, and she and Lexa sat down on it side by side. 

“Fine, you’re right,” Lexa sighed. “This view never gets old.” 

The rocky spire of the island’s volcano towered above the bay, and the late afternoon sun shone brightly on the cliff face. The brilliant, blue sky was laid out into infinity behind the greys and blacks of the rocky peak. That, in turn, contrasted beautifully to the lush greens of the forest below, until the trees met the lagoon and the vibrant, blue water made the array of colours come full circle. 

While Lexa’s eyes were fixed on the stunning landscape, Clarke’s own gaze drifted to Lexa’s shoulders. The back of Lexa’s tank top was open, a criss-crossed pattern of fabric covering, in all honesty, not much. Clarke blushed as her eyes roamed over Lexa’s skin. Before she could avert her gaze she noticed the black tribal tattoo she’d spotted the first night she’d seen Lexa. 

_It feels like ages ago that we first met,_ she realized. _The party, the dancing…_ She let her mind wander to that night, as her fingers moved of their own accord to Lexa’s back. As Clarke softly touched the lifeguard’s skin, Lexa hummed contentedly (although Clarke thought it sounded dangerously close to a moan). 

“You know…,” the brunette drawled, turning to look at Clarke, “I was promised a drawing…” 

Clarke froze. Lexa was suggesting she draw her tattoos, like she’d drunkenly offered on that first night. It was suddenly very hot on the deck, and not a temperature hot (because it was always a ‘temperature hot’ in Bora Bora), but a constricting kind of heat that made it difficult to breathe and hard to think straight. Because if Clarke was going to sketch Lexa’s tattoo, Lexa would have to be topless. 

“Um?” Clarke replied. Lexa raised her eyebrow in amusement, which only served to further elevate Clarke’s already erratic heartbeat. “Oh, you’re being serious?” 

“Mmhhm,” Lexa hummed comfortably, like asking Clarke to draw her half-naked ( _don’t think about it like that… ‘naked’… oh fuck_ ) was the most ordinary request she could’ve made. 

Clarke nodded and hurried off to get her supplies, all the while trying to get her body’s reactions under control. _Calm your breathing, stop sweating, stop blushing, slow down your heartbeat. Be cool, Clarke. It’s just a drawing, You’ve sketched nude models before_. Although definitely not like this, the tiny voice in the back of her mind reminded her. 

She returned to the dock to find Lexa already prepared. Meaning her shirt and bra were discarded on the deck chair and she stood leaning against the deck railing, looking out over the lagoon. Clarke couldn’t help but stop and appreciate the beauty that was Lexa. Part of her told her to avert her eyes; there was a partially naked woman in from of her. But another part of her made it impossible to look away. Lexa was standing less than six feet away from her, all glowing, tanned skin and flawless, muscular back. 

“I figured you’d need to see the whole thing,” she offered, turning her neck to look at Clarke. 

_I already knew I was fucked, but this confirms it._

Clarke assured Lexa that it was alright, and asked her if she was comfortable leaning on the rail. Lexa nodded before asking, “Where do you want me?” 

_If only you knew- god, this is getting out of hand_. “Just there would be great, actually. Just keep looking out over the bay all majestic like that, it’s perfect.” 

Lexa rolled her eyes before turning back around and facing the water. 

Clarke let her eyes roam unabashedly over Lexa’s exposed skin, her eyes tracing the outline of the girl’s tattoo. It was jet black, stretching from Lexa’s shoulder down her spine and ending at her lower back. The first time Clarke had seen it, she’d assumed it was a tribal design, but now that she could see the entire piece, she realized that was only half true. 

Starting from Lexa’s shoulder was a winding pattern of spirals and lines that made it look like there were shells and feathers on her skin. That was all Clarke had seen the first time she’d glanced at the tattoo. But now, she saw that the pattern melded into a thick, solid line that, at her shoulder blade, became the tail of a jaguar. The black feline was poised as if stalking a prey and it’s inky gaze made Clarke shiver. The jaguar’s jaws were shut, not snarling, which Clarke thought was sort of indicative of Lexa’s personality. _She could kill you with a look, no words necessary._

Clarke drew in silence, for the most part. Occasionally she would make small comments about Lexa’s position, but for the most part she just let her hands do all the work. Her mind had, thankfully, switched from hormonal, infatuated teenager to mature, concentrated artist. She found it surprisingly easy to ignore the fact that this was Lexa topless, and to instead focus on her artwork. 

When she was finished, she sat back and appreciated her work. She’d done a pretty good rendition of the scene, considering the lack of warning or array of supplies. The drawing depicted Lexa from the waist up, her hair thrown over one shoulder and her tattoo demanding the viewer’s attention. Clarke had also decided to include the railing and Lexa’s pose of leaning on it. She was pleased. With her bare minimum, she’d captured Lexa’s beauty and regality on paper, not to mention the badass tattoo. She let Lexa know she was done and offered the drawing to her, averting her eyes from Lexa’s chest when the lifeguard turned around. 

“Clarke, this is incredible,” Lexa breathed once she got a good look at the drawing. 

“It’s not bad, all things considered,” Clarke smiled. 

Lexa shook her head. “You’re being too modest.” 

Clarke blushed and shuffled her feet awkwardly. “I actually had one more idea in mind if you’re alright for one more?” 

“Of course!” Lexa replied eagerly. 

Clarke let out of a sigh of relief. She had only been a little worried that Lexa would decline. Clarke grabbed Lexa’s hand and gently pulled her towards the spiral staircase that led to the water. 

“Okay, so,” she began excitedly, “I just want to do one of you sitting on the edge of the dock downstairs. I’d like your hair over your shoulder again, please, and your arms by your sides, on the dock. But you can’t lean back, I need you to sit upright. And just look straight ahead. This one is all about the tattoo.” 

Clarke knew she was rambling but she couldn’t stop. Her inner artist had been unleashed. Lexa didn’t seem to mind, however, and let herself be dragged down the stairs, smiling at Clarke’s enthusiasm. 

Once they reached the bottom, Lexa sat herself down on the edge of the dock, just as Clarke had requested. Clarke took a seat on the staircase and set to sketching again. Since she was already familiar with the design, it didn’t take her too long to flesh it out. Lexa remained still and patient as Clarke began to hum to herself absentmindedly. 

As she finished the sketch, an idea took root in Clarke’s mind. An impulsive, immature idea, but she couldn’t resist. 

“I’m almost done,” she said to Lexa, whose back was still facing Clarke. “I just need to get a closer look at something.” 

Clarke stood up and padded over to Lexa silently. She softly put her hand on the girl’s back, tracing the jaguar with her other hand. She heard Lexa sigh quietly, and it was so peaceful that Clarke almost refrained from enacting her plan. But instead, she thought _fuck it_ and pushed the girl unceremoniously into the water. 

“Clarke!” Lexa cried when her head appeared from the water. “Seriously?” 

“Now we’re even,” Clarke laughed, “For last night.” 

“I know what we’re even for, jeez. Now my shorts are soaking wet. You want me to take my pants off too?” 

Clarke’s jaw dropped and she struggled to find any words other than ‘yes please’. She wasn't the only one shocked, apparently, as Lexa immediately turned bright red. 

“I’m sorry. That was… um, could you get me a towel please? I’m still- still kind of shirtless,” Lexa stammered, holding her arms across her chest. 

The reminder that Lexa was, indeed, half naked only served to make Clarke’s heart beat faster and her body churn with want. _Stop. Stop thinking about her topless and get a fucking towel_ , she berated herself. 

“Right. Be right back,” Clarke said tightly before turning and sprinting up the stairs two at a time. 

_What are you doing, Clarke?_ She couldn’t help picture droplets of water rolling down Lexa’s neck and collarbone, back into the water that came up to just above her breasts. Clarke saw in her mind the night she’d met Lexa; full of sexual tension and lust. All of the intimate moments they’d shared in the past week were at the forefront of her mind, and she couldn’t push them out. _Holding hands, going for drinks, sitting on the roof, kissing in the water, laying on the dock, and now this. A girl’s heart can only take so much._

Clarke returned with a towel to find Lexa in the same position she’d been in before Clarke had pushed her off the dock. She sat with her back to Clarke, the water already beginning to dry off of skin in the evening sun. Clarke cleared her throat nervously. 

“H-here you go,” she stuttered, holding the towel out to Lexa. The lifeguard turned and grabbed the towel with one hand, the other draped across her chest to cover herself. Clarke ducked her head, blushing furiously. 

“Thank you, Clarke. Maybe we could head inside now? I don’t know that I trust you out here with all this water and your mischievous mind.” 

Clarke gathered her art supplies in one arm before extending her unburdened hand to help Lexa up from the dock. They made their way up the stairs, and once they entered the hut, Clarke got to searching for a spare pair of shorts that Lexa could borrow. 

“Sorry, these are all I could find that were clean,” Clarke apologized, holding up a pair of running shorts that she’d packed with the hope of motivating herself to actually do some running. 

“That’s okay. Thank you,” Lexa took them, and started to make her way to the bathroom before turning around. “Um, is it alright if I go ‘commando’ in these? It’s just that my underwear is kind of also soaking wet.” 

Clarke ground her teeth so as to not make any inappropriate comments. But hearing Lexa say the words ‘soaking’ and ‘wet’ was greatly impairing Clarke’s ability to think straight. She shook her head a few times to clear her mind, which Lexa took as a no. 

“No, no, that’s totally fine!” Clarke clarified. “Sorry, I zoned out for a sec there.” 

“Okay, I’ll be right back,” the brunette called over her shoulder, already walking to the bathroom, the bundle of half her clothes and half Clarke’s clothes in hand. 

Clarke heard the door shut a few seconds later. She felt restless for some reason. _It probably has something to do with the half naked, beautiful girl in my bathroom who I’m hopelessly crushing on_. She began pacing absentmindedly, her feet cold on the glass floor in the centre of the room. _Tomorrow is my last full day. Shit, where did the time go? And how could I have been so naive?_

Lexa had been mysterious, hot, and all in her face on that first night. Clarke had taken the bait easily, entranced by the girl. But the next morning she’d seen a different side of Lexa. The lifeguard had been reserved, stoic, and quiet, and Clarke had somehow managed to fall for that side of her just as fast. 

_Octavia had tried to warn me against making stupid decisions, but she’d meant impulsive things done while trying to numb the pain of Finn. Hah, Finn. I haven’t thought about him enough to miss him. Even if I did think about him much, I doubt I would miss him at all. Lexa has completely taken over my heart,_ she thought. And that scared her. 

Snapping her out of her reverie, Clarke heard the bathroom door click open. She suddenly felt panicked, like she was running out of time. Like every encounter with Lexa had led to this moment, this crucial time for her to make a decision. She could suppress the burning desire to kiss the lifeguard, along with the yearning to touch her and the longing to make her smile every day. She could write this off as ‘thing’, and when people asked about her trip to Bora Bora and asked her if she’d met anyone, she’d answer that she had, but it was only a ‘thing’. Because everyone knew what that meant. It meant ‘we had no time’, ‘we lived too far apart’, ‘it was just for fun’. It meant ‘this could have been, if only…’. 

Clarke knew that was the safe option, but it was also a guaranteed painful one. It would lead to a broken heart and a tear soaked travel pillow as she cried her eyes out on her 8 hour flight to Los Angeles and again on her 3 hour connecting flight to Seattle. It would lead to days, if not weeks, of tearing herself up over what might’ve been. She would see Lexa everywhere she went, in everything she did, and it would haunt her. _I’m in so fucking deep,_ she realized. 

It was that realization, that this definitely wasn’t love but something frighteningly more than just a crush, that made her decision for her. Lexa turned the corner from the small hallway that lead to the bathroom, towel and wet clothes bundled in her arms. She had her black tank top back on, one of the only pieces of Lexa’s clothing that hadn’t gotten wet from Clarke’s prank. And while Lexa’s muscular legs were always shown off in her usual denim shorts, Clarke’s black running shorts accentuated her tanned skin and toned muscles in a way probably only athletic clothing could. _Damn. I should run more if those shorts make my legs look half that good._ Lexa didn’t fail to notice Clarke staring. 

“See something you like, Clarke?” she teased, smirking all the while, and repeating those five treacherous words she’d said the morning after the roof incident. Last time she’d used that line, Clarke had been immobilized by dehydration and shock. This time, she was slightly more prepared. But only slightly. 

“Yes,” she choked out. _Seduction is not my forte_ she thought, and she suddenly wondered at what point ‘seduction’ had ever become part of the plan. Lexa looked surprised at first, but recovered quickly, her lips curving into a smile that did unforgivable things to Clarke’s heart. 

“Oh?” the lifeguard raised an eyebrow and bit her lip with such flirtatious precision Clare had to wonder how many times she’d done this routine. But that thought was fleeting, in and out of her mind before she could dwell on it. Instead, she steeled herself, willing her voice not to shake and her legs not to give out beneath her. 

“Yes,” she said with more certainty. “I see something- someone that I like very much.” She took a tentative step towards Lexa. They were only a few feet apart now. 

“Clarke…” 

_Fuck it_. Clarke could hear the warning in Lexa’s voice. It said ‘this isn’t a good idea’, it said ‘this could get you hurt’. But she could also hear the way Lexa’s breath hitched as she took another slow step forward. She saw Lexa’s eyes dart to her lips, her eyes betraying her and darkening with lust, as she licked her lips. 

In that moment, Clarke knew Lexa was just as screwed as she was. So she took another step forward and brought them chest to chest. Lexa’s gaze flickered between Clarke’s eyes and her lips. Clarke thought that surely Lexa must be able to hear her heart pounding. 

“You can tell me to stop,” Clarke breathed. She half hoped that Lexa would. This was dangerous territory for the two of them. This was acting on every suppressed desire of the entire week. This was the next step in a series of flirtatious conversations and lingering gazes and kisses at night that were swept under the rug by morning. 

When Lexa didn’t say anything, Clarke closed the space between them. She pressed her lips to Lexa’s softly, giving the girl a chance to change her mind. _You can still stop this._ When Lexa didn’t respond immediately, Clarke thought that maybe the girl would pull back after all. But after a few moments, Lexa’s hands came up and grasped at Clarke’s shoulders, pushing her back against the wall. Clarke had to gasp at the sudden aggression, pulling back from Lexa’s mouth. 

“This is a bad idea, Clarke,” Lexa ground out, before bringing her lips to Clarke’s messily. 

She kissed her roughly, one hand splayed against the wall and one hand still clutching at Clarke’s shoulder. Clarke responded in kind, primal instincts taking over as she tangled her hand in Lexa’s partially dried hair. 

“This is a bad idea,” Lexa murmured again, against Clarke’s lips. The feeling sent shivers up Clarke’s spine. 

Clarke pulled at the lifeguard’s neck and Lexa took the hint, pressing her lips once more to Clarke’s. She trailed her tongue along Clarke’s bottom lip and if not for Lexa’s hands holding her against the wall, Clarke thought she might crumble then and there. Lexa trailed her fingers from Clarke’s shoulder to her exposed collarbone, and dug her nails in as she nipped at Clarke’s lip, eliciting a gasp from the girl. 

This kiss was nothing like the kiss on the roof, laced with alcohol and half remembered. And it was certainly nothing like the kiss in the water, slow and gentle. This kiss was hot and hungry, all clutching hands and burning lungs. It was exactly what Clarke imagined kissing Lexa would feel like on the first night she’d met her. 

Lexa pulled away from the wall, taking Clarke with her and steering her towards the bed. _Sweet holy fuck_ , she thought, letting Lexa direct her. 

Clarke chose to focus instead on the heavenly gifts that were Lexa’s hands. Sure, her lips were amazing and her tongue- Clarke didn’t want to risk thinking what that tongue was capable of- but Lexa’s hands were all over her, lingering in just the right places to make Clarke’s back arch with want. She would drag her fingers down Clarke’s chest, hovering between her breasts but never touching them. She wound one arm behind Clarke’s waist, and her other hand dipped down to trail curious fingers along the newly exposed skin of Clarke’s hip. 

Clarke felt the backs of her legs knock against the bed frame, but before Lexa pushed her any further, the brunette pulled back and took a deep, ragged breath. 

“This is-“ she managed, before leaning back in to kiss Clarke fiercely. 

“-A bad-“ she gasped as Clarke bit at her bottom lip. 

“-Ide-“ she got out, before Clarke clamped a hand over Lexa’s mouth and set to kissing along her jawline instead. 

Lexa sighed beneath Clarke’s palm, as Clarke peppered the underside of her jaw and her neck with gentle kisses. She nipped at Lexa’s ear before biting at her neck, and Lexa gasped in response. Clarke’s boldness seemed to spark something in the lifeguard, as she growled and pushed Clarke down onto the bed. 

They paused like that, for a second. Lexa’s eyes raked Clarke from head to toe, her pupils blown and her chest heaving. Clarke pushed herself up on her elbows, her mouth hanging open and her lungs burning. This seemed like the tipping point… or maybe the tipping point had been when Clarke had first made the move to kiss Lexa earlier. Or maybe it had been their first kiss on the roof, Clarke couldn’t be sure anymore. But here, laying on the bed and praying that Lexa wouldn’t turn away, Clarke knew there was no going back. 

And Lexa took the plunge. She crawled onto the bed slowly, deliberately, like a predator stalking its prey. The way Lexa’s eyes trailed over Clarke’s body, Clarke felt very much like she was being appraised for a meal. Lexa stopped at Clarke’s stomach and tugged at her shirt with one hand. She bent down and pressed a soft kiss to Clarke’s hip, and then her stomach, before she pulled back and continued crawling upwards until she was hovering over Clarke. 

Clarke’s hands came up and she grabbed at the hem of Lexa’s tank top. Lexa let her pull it slowly up over her head before Clarke tossed it aside and turned her attention to Lexa’s newly exposed skin. The lifeguard’s stomach was just as evenly tanned as her arms, her entire body a display of toned muscles and smooth skin. Clarke was happy to simply lay beneath her, taking in the sights, but Lexa had other plans in mind. 

The brunette leaned down and kissed Clarke again, less roughly than before but just as hungrily. She kissed Clarke slowly, savouring every moment, and Clarke couldn’t help the whimper that escaped her throat when Lexa dropped a knee between Clarke’s thighs. 

Clarke’s hands found skin, one behind Lexa’s neck, anchoring them together, another clenched around Lexa’s back. Lexa didn’t stop kissing Clarke for a second as she deftly took Clarke’s hand from her back and pinned it above Clarke’s head. The movement caused Lexa to pitch forward, and her knee slid against Clarke. Clarke gasped at the friction and tilted her head back, catching her breath. 

“Is this okay?” Lexa asked. Her voice was husky, all arousal and want, but Clarke saw concern flit across the lifeguard’s face. 

Clarke nodded earnestly so Lexa knew to keep going. She kissed Clarke again, and her hand slipped beneath the waistband of Clarke’s shorts. 

“And this?” 

“Yes,” Clarke choked out. She sounded like she was pleading. 

Everything after that moment felt like an out of body experience to Clarke. There was no way this was happening. No way that Lexa was kissing her like that, leaving her lips burning. No way that the lifeguard was suspended over her, dropping sweet kisses to her neck and the occasional bite. No way that Lexa was pushing her fingers into Clarke, obeying every strangled cry of ‘there’ and ‘more’ and ‘don’t stop’. Clarke’s back had arched and her whimpers had turned to moans more times than she could count. Every time Lexa touched her she reacted as if branded by an iron. 

“Fuck- Lexa-,” Clarke groaned as the lifeguard’s slender fingers teased her clit. Lexa shivered, taking intense pleasure in the feel of Clarke: beneath her, around her, everywhere. She continued to press her fingers into Clarke, and Clarke kept pleading for more. 

When Clarke came, her breathing was already so ragged she couldn't cry out, but between gasping breaths she stammered Lexa’s name. The brunette let Clarke ride out her orgasm before placing a gentle kiss on her lips. Clarke accepted it lazily, still recovering from a few moments ago, but once her legs felt like they might be responsive, she flipped them so that Lexa was on her back. 

“Do you like to be on top, Clarke?” Lexa smirked at her. 

“No teasing,” Clarke answered. Lexa had just fucked her into oblivion. She wanted to repay the favour. 

“Clarke-“ Lexa’s voice was stern, adopting the same cautionary tone from before “-Have I mentioned that this is a bad- oh.” 

Lexa’s warning was lost to sighs and gasps as Clarke kissed her way down Lexa’s chest and stomach. _This is anything other than a bad idea_ , Clarke thought to herself, as she planted a kiss on Lexa’s hip bone. She paused and glanced at Lexa, her hands tugging on the black running shorts. 

“May I?” 

Lexa didn’t reply, instead she pulled Clarke up for another kiss, crashing their lips together fiercely. All the while, her hands guided Clarke’s and they stripped off the shorts easily. Clarke tossed them to the side, and for a split second she was surprised that Lexa wasn’t wearing anything underneath, only to remember that Lexa had had to change into those shorts after Clarke pushed her into the water. _Feels like ages ago._

Clarke returned her attention to Lexa’s hips, dragging her fingers lightly, trailing her lips along the soft skin. It wasn’t until a few minutes of teasing later that Clarke finally gave in to her want. 

“Oh, fuck- yes, there. There,” Lexa groaned as Clarke’s tongue found its rhythm. 

Clarke would have many memories to cherish of the week in Bora Bora; paddle boarding, stargazing, and matchmaking were some of them. But she knew, in that moment, she would never forget the way it felt to drag her tongue along the length of Lexa’s clit. The lifeguard’s head was thrown back, her hands clenched at the bed, and she had cried out Clarke’s name more than once. 

“Please- please don’t stop,” Lexa begged. 

_As if I could._ Clarke repressed every thought in her head telling her that this was a mistake. She ignored every warning that said she would regret this. As Lexa’s thighs tightened around Clarke’s head and her back arched, Clarke knew she could never regret it. And as Lexa came, gasping ‘Clarke’ and ‘yes’ and ‘Clarke’ again, Clarke knew it was not a mistake. And when Lexa pulled her up and kissed her sloppily, tasting herself on Clarke’s lips, Clarke knew she was truly, royally fucked. 

And afterwards, as they fell asleep tangled in each others’ arms without ever talking about what had happened between them, Clarke knew that while she couldn’t regret sleeping with Lexa, it was going to be a big problem tomorrow. _I have to say goodbye tomorrow,_ she realized as sleep finally took her.


	10. The Last Day

Clarke woke up to a rumbling stomach. _Not the shining sun or the sound of a certain someone’s voice, but my damn hungry stomach._ The thought crossed her mind briefly that she hadn’t actually eaten anything for dinner last night. _Well…..,_ she added devilishly, trying to keep her thoughts PG for so early in the morning. 

Before cracking open her sleep-crusted eyes, she noticed that the bed felt too empty. Much too empty. She opened her eyes in a panic, only to be calmed by the sight of Lexa, bending over at the foot of the bed as she sought out some article of clothing that had probably been tossed aside in the heat of the moment the previous night. 

“Hmm… You wouldn’t be off to get us some breakfast, would you?” Clarke teased easily, a dopey grin on her face. 

“Clarke…” 

Lexa had her no-nonsense voice going already, and Clarke mentally sighed that there would be no playful morning-after as she’d hoped there’d be. 

“Okay,” she conceded, “you're not in the mood to banter. I withdraw my bant. What’s wrong?” 

“We slept together.” 

_Yeah, and it was frickin’ glorious_ , Clarke thought to herself, but she decided against such a direct statement. 

“Yeah, we both wanted to. I know it’s hard because I’m leaving but now I have a very compelling reason to come back, along with Octavia of cour—“ 

“It was a mistake,” Lexa said blankly. 

Clarke didn’t know how to reply to that. She hadn’t really considered the possibility of Lexa feeling this way, because she had been so certain their actions had been anything but a mistake. 

“It was- we shouldn’t have- it was irresponsible,” Lexa stammered, suddenly struggling to find the right words to say. 

“Maybe, but-“ 

Lexa cut her off. “I have to go.” 

Clarke’s brain was starting to catch up with what was happening, having shed the thick haze of post-sex exhaustion and lazy early mornings. 

“That’s it?” she retorted. “You’re just going to leave me half naked in bed and pretend like it never happened?” 

Lexa furrowed her eyebrows before shedding her impassive mask. 

“What do you want me to say?” she demanded. “That I’ve wanted to be with you since the moment we met? That it was the best sex of my life and I’ll always think fondly of you for it? That I love you? 

Lexa’s heated words and burning gaze had Clarke feeling like she was sitting 6 feet from the sun, but Lexa still managed give off that annoyingly cool and calm vibe. Like this was trivial to her. _Well it’s pretty damn important to me._

“No, that’s not-“ Clarke tried to cut in. 

“We’re not in a movie, Clarke.” Lexa’s tone had turned unbelievably harsh, like she was lecturing a fourth-grader. “We’ve only known each other for a week. A great week, but a week that is ending tomorrow the moment that you step on that plane.” 

Clarke frantically tried to piece together how this conversation had turned downhill so fast. One second she’d been groggily joking about breakfast, and the next she was being subjected to a condescending lecture about how the amazing and totally-bound-to-happen-eventually sex with Lexa had been huge mistake. Which was not how Clarke felt about it at all. Not to mention, she hated being treated like a child. Her mother did it constantly. 

Lexa, unawares of the brewing temper in Clarke’s head, continued on. 

“I like spending time with you-“ _some consolation that is_ “-but you’re going back to your real life tomorrow, a life that I can’t be a part of from 5,000 miles away. I wanted to sneak out this morning to spare us this conversation but-“ 

Clarke had heard enough. 

“And then what? You would’ve ignored me for my last day here? After we slept together? God, Lexa, I’m not an idiot. I didn’t think we’d have some fairytale happy ending with a swelling crescendo of heartwarming music as we decided to defy all odds and get fucking hitched,” she spat. “I knew from the start that any sort of relationship was a terrible idea, which is why I tried to only be your friend. But sometimes life happens and your feelings kick you in the fucking mouth. I didn’t expect this to happen, but I don’t regret it either. Not kissing you, flirting with you, or fucking you senseless,” she threw in for good measure. 

“I’m not saying that I regret it either, it’s just-“ 

“But that is what you’re saying! That sleeping with me was a mistake. That all of this was a mistake. How is that different from regret?” 

“Look, we just can’t afford to get attached to each other given the circumstances-“ Lexa tried again, but Clarke cut her off once more. 

“Oh fuck off with the sermon about emotions,” _okay, in retrospect, maybe too harsh_ , Clarke thought, before she carried on. “I see right through you. You think that feelings are a weakness. That they will get you hurt and only cause you trouble. But you’re weak for hiding from them. They aren’t something you can turn on and off. They aren’t something you can control. I leave tomorrow, and I knew this was a bad idea, but I didn’t choose to fall for you. I didn’t choose to feel happy any time you looked my way or smiled at me. I’m sorry that you feel like this was a mistake, but in reality it was exactly what we both wanted. And I’m sorry that you’ve spent 5 years of your life running from your emotions, without ever realizing that they are always going to be a part of you-“ Lexa’s eyebrows rose and her mouth opened slightly, shocked at the brutal honesty of Clarke’s words. Clarke knew it had been a harsh way to put it, but she was laying her heart on the line. There was no room for gentleness. 

“I get it, Lexa,” she continued, “you want to bury them because they can hurt like hell. But they can also be really wonderful, and if you even felt a drop of the happiness that I’ve felt with you this week, you'd see that.” 

Lexa didn’t say anything at first and Clarke thought that maybe her words had finally gotten through. The brunette glanced from Clarke to her feet and back up at Clarke before licking her lips nervously. 

“I- I can’t-“ she stuttered. 

“Then leave.” 

Lexa looked at Clarke, her wide eyes giving away her surprise at Clarke’s sudden command. 

“If nothing I’ve said has changed your mind… If that’s really how you feel, then leave,” she said again. 

Lexa stood there for a few moments, her mouth unresponsive and her eyes unsure if they wanted to stare at the floor or into Clarke’s for what might be the last time. Finally, she found her voice, but it was barely a whisper when she addressed Clarke. 

“You’re right-“ 

Clarke sat up, heart burning with desperate hope before- 

“The mistake was falling for me in the first place.” 

And Lexa turned around and walked out of the door. 

Clarke sat there dumbfounded as she watched the door shut behind the lifeguard. For a few heartbeats there was only the snick of the door meeting the frame and the bitter taste of rejection in her throat before she burst into tears. 

She let them fall freely, trying not to replay the conversation in her head. It was to no avail, however, as Lexa’s words resounded inside her skull until she thought her head might burst from it. Every memory of the morning was only made worse by the memories of last night. 

_I’m a fucking idiot_ , Clarke cursed herself. _A fucking idiot who thought maybe this wouldn’t end like this. Damnit._ She rested her head in her hands and cried. She cried and sobbed until her body had nothing left to give. No tears, no feelings, just stinging eyes and a numb heart. 

It wasn’t until what seemed like hours later that Clarke was pulled out of her stupor on the bed. She’d barely moved all morning, and when she glanced at the clock, she felt the faint twinge of surprise that it read 1:06pm before she remembered what had jarred her into consciousness in the first place. There had been a knock on the door. 

_Maybe if I ignore it they will leave_. 

Apparently today was the day for all of Clarke’s hopes to be crushed, as there was another knock on the door, this time much louder and more insistent. 

“Clarke, please open up. It’s Octavia.” 

Clarke groaned and tried to make herself presentable before she rolled out of bed and trudged to the door. She was suddenly dead-tired, and she turned the door handle impossibly slowly, feeling like any sudden movement might shatter her. _This is what I was supposed to feel like after Finn,_ she thought to herself tiredly. 

Except that when Finn had told her that he had cheated on her, or cheated with her (Clarke was still fuzzy on the details), he had begged for her to forgive him. And that had only made Clarke even more furious at him. But with Lexa… _Fuck, I wish I could be mad at her._ With Finn, anger had come easily. He’d lied to her repeatedly and had been totally selfish up until the moment where he realized Clarke might actually hate him. Then he had pleaded for her to stay. It was infuriating, and not to mention pathetic. 

Lexa, however, had never lied to her, really. She’d acted just as Clarke had; doing what they wanted and thinking maybe they could avoid the consequences. Only they had come to different conclusions. Lexa thought that they were making a mistake, and she was only trying to protect both of them by hurting Clarke. _Irony._

Clarke hated that she understood, because it made it impossible to be mad at the lifeguard. But anger was such a better feeling than heartbreak. 

She pulled the door open to see Octavia standing on the front step, concern clouding her face. 

“Clarke! What’s wrong? You’ve been crying. Clarke, does this have anything to do with Lexa? I just saw her working on the beach, she looked like a train wreck.” 

_Heartache: who wore it best?_ Clarke thought ruefully. _Maybe she’s not as impassive about this as she seemed, but it was still her call to end things the way they did_. 

“Hey, O,” Clarke croaked, her voice scratchy from disuse (ugly sobbing not included). “Come on in, if you’re not busy.” 

“I have today off. It’s your last full day after all.” The girl tried a smile but it didn’t sit right with the worry still occupying her features. 

Octavia shut the door behind her as she follower Clarke back inside. 

“Clarke, what’s going on?” Octavia asked again. 

Clarke sighed heavily before collapsing face first onto the bed. 

“Lexa and I had sex.” Her words were muffled by a pillow (that smelt painfully like Lexa) but Octavia understood nonetheless. 

“Oh my god, Clarke. You leave tomorrow! I told you—“ 

“Spare me the ‘I told you so’ please,” Clarke huffed. 

“I’m not going to say that, but I did warn you about making rash, impulsive, post-break-up decisions.” 

“It wasn’t like that,” Clarke insisted. 

“What do you mean?” Octavia quirked her head to the side. 

“I— it wasn’t a fling, or a one night stand type of thing. I just… I really liked her, and I thought she was interested in me, and it sort of just happened,” Clarke offered. 

“That’s not much of an explanation, Clarke. “ 

“What do you want me to say!” Clarke shouted, repeating Lexa’s words from earlier. _Full circle_ , she thought. _Only this is Octavia, and I’m not breaking her heart._

“Look, I knew you guys had chemistry, and maybe I teased too much, but I thought you both would’ve known better than to do this.” 

“Nope, guess I’m just a fucking idiot.” 

Octavia sighed. “I’m sorry Clarke, that’s not what I meant. I’m just shocked is all. I kind of figured it would either happen earlier in the week or not at all. I wasn’t expecting this… but really, I shouldn’t be surprised. So, what happened after?” 

“She left. Said it was a mistake. It’s done,” Clarke replied stiffly. 

Octavia paused for a moment, trying to think of how to respond. 

“Hey, you know I was never good with words. I’m not the consoling type. I’m the one that yells at you to get up when life pushes you down. I don’t do soft and gushy stuff. But you’re my friend and I will be here for you no matter what,” Octavia cracked a small smile, “and if you want to eat your weight in ice cream right now, I will go with you to buy some and eat it with you while you tell me things about Lexa that make you angry. Best cure for heartbreak ever.” 

Clarke sat quietly as Octavia finished her speech. _I don’t know what I want._ She didn’t want to go home, but she didn’t want to stay in Bora Bora any longer. Octavia’s company was the only thing that held her there now, and as wonderful as that was, Clarke was feeling suffocated by the heavy air that she’d once thought was so refreshing. Instead of voicing any of this to her friend, she simply did her best attempt at a smile and said, “That sounds perfect.” 

Octavia rambled about work and Lincoln while Clarke got dressed and ready to leave the room. _Can’t spend my last day in paradise looking like a disaster, can I?_ Once she was ready, the two girls set off down the boardwalk and towards a part of the resort Clarke had managed not to visit yet. She guessed that Octavia was trying to spare her an awkward run-in with Lexa, for which she was very grateful. 

They rounded a corner and the ice cream parlour came into view. It was nestled into the side of the resort, little more than a hole in the wall, but there were a couple picnic tables and beach chairs set up around and a few people milling about. 

As they took their spot in line, Octavia began listing off the various flavours, but Clarke’s mind was elsewhere. It wasn’t until they reached the front and Octavia elbowed her in the ribs before Clarke was jolted back to reality and blurted out “mint chocolate chip!” without thinking. 

“Of course, Miss,” the man at the till smiled before returning to Octavia, who made idle conversation while she payed. 

They walked away with their ice cream a few minutes later, Octavia still carrying most of the conversation while Clarke listened and tried to enjoy her mint chocolate chip before it melted in the hot, afternoon sun. 

“So, anyways, as luck would have it, Lincoln and I both have next Tuesday off, so we’re going to take a boat and cruise to the far side of the island where there aren’t any resorts and have an ‘us’ day. I’m thinking sex on the beach,” Octavia said, grinning mischievously. 

“I’m happy for you, O. It’s really nice that it all worked out with Lincoln… He’s a lot better off than some of the previous guys, if you don’t mind me saying,” Clarke replied. 

“Yeah, well, it’s thanks in large part to you. He’s a real sweet guy, Clarke. And bonus, I won’t have to be leaving the country to be with this one.” 

“Have you spoken to your brother recently?” Clarke asked. 

“Yeah, I have actually. He’s… warming up to the idea of me being here. Not like he has much choice though, right? I’m already here,” Octavia laughed. 

“That’s true, but your brother loves you, Octavia. Maybe don’t drive him too crazy.” 

“Please, don’t remind me about him being ‘crazy’. Remember when he found out I’d come here? That was ugly.” 

Clarke didn’t say anything, as per her friend’s request, but she couldn’t help but reminisce on it in her head. 

Almost a year ago, Octavia had met a guy named Tyler, who claimed he was from Australia and worked as a diving instructor. The two hit it off, and Tyler even asked Octavia if she’d go back to Australia with him for a short visit. They planned everything, but when their plane landed, Tyler was arrested immediately. The authorities explained that Tyler was wanted drug dealer who often brought in foreign women to be his drug mules. Needless to say, that promptly ended that relationship. The local police had received a tip that Tyler was landing that day, and after the arrest was made, they were exceptionally welcoming and tried to offer Octavia any help that they could. Before heading back home, Octavia had decided to make a brief pit stop in Bora Bora to relieve some of her stress. Her brief stop had turned into an employment opportunity and she’d been working at the resort since. 

“Yeah, I remember. He gave you such a lecture about being ‘irresponsible’ and ‘reckless’ in between telling you how happy he was that you were okay,” Clarke chuckled. 

“Yeah, what a good guy. Honestly, that whole thing was terrifying when I found out the truth. But now it’s just a crazy story I look back on sometimes and tell at parties.” 

“I wonder if that’s what this’ll be for me,” Clarke pondered. “If this whole situation with Lexa gets reduced to ‘a fling’ or something…” 

“I know you’re choked up about it Clarke, but it’ll get better eventually, I promise,” Octavia offered. 

“Thanks, O, but ‘time’ is a poor bandaid for a fresh wound.” 

“I know.” 

“I’ll miss you, you little shit,” Clarke muttered. They had walked all the way back to her room already, and it suddenly seemed like the entire week had passed in only several minutes. _I wasted my time,_ Clarke couldn't help but think. _I spent so much energy on Lexa but the whole time I should’ve been enjoying time with Octavia. God damnit, Griffin._

“I’ll miss you too, Princess. Maybe Lincoln and I can get time off to visit you instead of you paying a fortune to come out here,” Octavia offered. 

“I’d like that O, thanks,” Clarke smiled genuinely. 

“Okay then, it’s settled. Thanksgiving with the Griffins!” 

“Not a chance,” Clarke replied, lightly slapping Octavia on the shoulder. “Not in a million years.” 

“I know, I know. Only joking, Clarkey.” 

“Oh fuck off.” 

“Love you too, dipshit,” Octavia cackled, before pulling Clarke into a fierce hug. “But seriously now, don’t be a stranger. Stay in touch.” 

“Of course, O. I mean, I will be seeing you tomorrow when you take me to the airport, you know,” Clarke said. 

“Yeah, yeah, but still.” 

“Right, whatever you say.” 

Octavia smiled at her friend before taking a few steps back. Clarke retreated inside her hut and prepared to shut the door. 

“Love you Clarke!” 

“You too, O! See you tomorrow,” Clarke called, closing the door. 

She turned and took a long look at her room. The transparent floor, the deck, the bed. She didn’t want to admit it but she was going to miss the place, and the people. Not just Octavia, but Lincoln as well. And Lexa, of course, but she didn’t want to deal with that yet. 

Clarke pulled her suitcase out of the closet and dropped it onto her bed. She started packing her things, trying not to think of what else had taken place on that bed less than 24 hours earlier. She found her black running shorts near the sliding door to the deck, and tried not to think about who had worn them last. Finally, Clarke had managed to pack up mostly everything except the essentials for the next day. 

She sighed heavily, and contemplated what to do with the rest of her evening. She didn’t want to party or drink or risk anything that might result in her bumping into Lexa, that was for sure. Instead, she quickly ordered room service and rummaged through her smaller bag for the book. _Took me long enough,_ she thought to herself, tucking the book under her arm and making her way to the deck. 

Clarke settled herself down on the deck chair and leaned back slowly. She closed her eyes, taking in the heat from the sun and the cool breeze coming off the water. _This really is paradise. Regardless of what happened while I was here, this place is beautiful._

 _ _With that in mind, she opened her eyes and picked up her book. As she cracked the cover and began reading, a peaceful bliss settled on Clarke. It was therapeutic, she thought, that you could feel better just by reading words on a page. That those words could take you somewhere far away from any of your troubles, fears, or problems. You could just escape from life inside a book. She wondered if maybe she should’ve done that in the first place. If maybe she should’ve taken a week off work and just spent time alone, reading, and escaping without ever having to leave her apartment. That could’ve saved her the pain of ever having met Lexa. The wonderful, aching, beautiful pain that was knowing Lexa and having her break her heart.__

 _ _

But that thought in itself made Clarke sad. Clarke hated to admit it, but the thought of never having met Lexa hurt more than the pain of being brokenhearted. _Which only continues to prove that I fell for her too hard. I fell and I fell and then she broke my heart_. Clarke shook her head at the thought, and turned her attention back to her book.

__


	11. May We Meet Again

The alarm clock blared its morning announcement into the peaceful bedroom, waking up Clarke at the unholy hour of 4:30am. She groaned, rolled over, and pressed the snooze button. _I won’t miss my plane for 10 more minutes of sleep_ , she reasoned to herself. 

Ten minutes later, the alarm clock resumed its wake up call. Clarke could almost swear it was louder and fiercer this time, offended by her earlier dismissal. She threw the covers off in an attempt to wake herself up. In Seattle, the result would’ve been cool air settling on her once warm legs, and it would’ve gotten her up in no time. In Bora Bora, with its warm, humid air, throwing off the covers did about as much to wake her up as hitting the snooze button had. 

_Come on. You’ve got to get up. The plane leaves at 7:00 and you still need to finish packing, get food and meet Octavia at the docks._ Steeling herself, Clarke rolled to the edge of the bed until she was teetering over, forcing herself to drop her legs onto the floor lest she wanted to land face first instead. 

Clarke got dressed in the usual shorts and tank top, throwing a change of clothes in her carry-on since the plane always seemed to be too cold. Not to mention it definitely wasn’t going to be tropical temperatures in Seattle. Once she was dressed, she quickly brushed her teeth and finished getting ready before tossing the rest of her stuff into her suitcase and zipping it shut. 

_I suppose I could see if there’s any food places at the resort open this early._ She doubted it but thought she may as well give it a try. If not, she’d have to settle for some vending machine snacks or deli food until her layover in Los Angeles. 

Walking down the boardwalk at 4:45am turned out to be intensely more enjoyable than she’d expected. The morning air woke her up completely, and the tranquility of the undisturbed water had a way of putting her heart and mind at ease. It also helped that she hadn’t thought about Lexa yet that morning. Yet. 

As she approached the resort, she decided to try her luck at the café she’d found earlier in the week. _What day was that— oh yeah, the day I went paddle boarding_ , she remembered. The days had a way of blending together, all sunshine and water and— _no, not her. Not now._ She was determined to postpone the emotional breakdown until safely on a plane or in a bathroom at the airport. 

As luck would have it, the café was open, and Clarke walked in without paying attention to any other clientele. In her defence, why would anyone be in the café at 5am? Unless they were getting on an early plane, of course. 

She ordered a coffee and a breakfast wrap before glancing at a clock on the wall. _I’m supposed to be at the docks for 5:45_. Once she got her food, she looked around for a place to sit. Which is when she saw the one person she had been avoiding. _You’ve got to be fucking kidding me._

Sure enough, sitting at a table near the wall, were Lexa and Lincoln. The two were making idle conversation over breakfast and neither looked to Clarke as she made her way to a table on the opposite side of the café. _Fuckitty fuck fuck_ , Clarke cursed to herself. _They must work early shifts. But really Lexa, who the fuck would be on a beach at this time for you to have to be working?_

Clarke set to determinedly eating her breakfast and refused to look in the direction of the other table. She got about halfway through her wrap before she heard a timid cough come from in front of her. She looked up, and while part of her was surprised that such a shy noise could come out of the intimidating persona that was Lexa, the rest of her knew she shouldn’t be surprised in the least that Lexa couldn’t just stay away. _No, she just had to come over and drive a nail into the metaphorical coffin. Great_. Hiding her annoyance (and pain), Clarke looked up expectantly. 

“Yes?” She demanded, trying not to sound too rude but failing spectacularly. 

Lexa winced at Clarke’s harsh tone but it didn’t persuade her to leave. 

“I should probably say ‘goodbye’ but—“ 

“Goodbye,” Clarke snapped at her. _Idiot, do you want her to hate you? Yes. No. Shit,_ the voices in Clarke’s head argued. Meanwhile, Lexa was looking like she’d just tasted something extremely bitter. _That would be rejection_ , the voices agreed. 

“Clarke, I—“ but before Lexa could get any further, Octavia burst into the café. 

“Jesus christ, I’ve been looking everywhere for you two!” She exclaimed. “Look, I’m sorry to do this because I know that whatever is happening with you two is more awkward than watching a porno with your parents—“ 

“I don’t think—“ Clarke cut in. 

“That’s not—“ Lexa started. 

“—but I can’t take you to the airport, Clarke, so Lexa will have to. Sorry this is so last minute, but something came up,” Octavia finished, looking frantically at the two girls. 

“Something ‘came up’?” Clarke almost yelled. “Octavia, no. Please. You can take me. What could be more important than driving me to the airport?!” 

“I can’t explain right now, I’m super sorry,” Octavia apologized. 

“Okay, well then Lincoln will just have to take me,” Clarke suggested, but at the mention of his name Lincoln looked up and shook his head. 

“Sorry Clarke, my shift starts at 5:30, which is— shit!” Lincoln swore before bolting up and running out the door. 

“Look, Clarke, I’m sorry but I have to go. Lexa’s shift is being covered by Nyko but no one can cover me so its got to be this way,” Octavia said, before turning to Lexa. “You can handle this, I assume? Just take the boat over and back. Easy peasy.” 

Lexa nodded before catching the keys that Octavia tossed at her. 

“You should be leaving in ten minutes, by the way,” she added, before scurrying out the door after Lincoln. 

_Well, my goodbyes are going very differently than I expected,_ Clarke thought, as she watched her friend dash away. “See you around,” she muttered. 

“Is your stuff ready to go?” Lexa asked politely, causing Clarke to return to her present conundrum. _It’s just a 15 minute boat ride, you’ll be fine. You can manage._

“Yes, it’s just in my room,” Clarke replied. 

“Okay, I’ll come with you—“ 

“That’s fine, I can manage—“ 

“I insist.” 

Clarke rolled her eyes before standing up and heading out of the café. 

“Well, let’s go then,” she threw over her shoulder before walking away, not bothering to wait for Lexa. 

She heard Lexa sigh before jogging to catch up with her. _Can we just walk in silence, please_ , Clarke wanted to say. But some small, stupid part of her wanted to hear what Lexa would say. Or if she’d say anything at all. Anything to give any indication that Lexa actually felt something for her. 

“Clarke, I have to—“ Lexa started, but Clarke cut her off. 

“—Go?” she shot. _You have to go? Because that sounds familiar_. 

“That’s not fair,” Lexa whispered, hurt written across her face. 

“Life often isn’t,” Clarke replied simply, like nothing could be more obvious. 

Lexa took the hint and didn’t press further as they walked back to Clarke’s room. This silence was a completely different breed from the kind Clarke had enjoyed walking to the café. The earlier silence had been calm and peaceful, something to be admired. This silence, however, was heavy and ominous. It made the walk back to the room seem like a much longer distance than usual. 

When they did make it to Clarke’s hut, Lexa waited outside while Clarke gathered all of her belongings and checked to make sure she wasn’t forgetting anything. As she locked the door behind her, she reached under her arm and held something out for Lexa to take. The drawings she’d done of the lifeguard on the deck. 

“Here, these are for you,” Clarke said brusquely. 

“Clarke, I can’t. They’re too good. You should keep them,” Lexa pleaded. 

“I don’t want them. Looking at them makes me think of you, and that hurts too much.” 

Lexa looked like she might cry, but she swallowed whatever tears were developing and held out her hand. As Clarke placed the drawings into Lexa’s palm, their fingertips brushed. It was enough to make Clarke’s heart race, and she hated it. 

In an effort to cover up her pained expression, Lexa reached down and grabbed the handle of Clarke’s suitcase. 

“I’ve got this,” she assured Clarke, who, out of decency, had tried to take it back from Lexa’s grasp. 

“Okay,” Clarke allowed, simply wishing they could get a move on. _I’ve got a plane to catch and an emotional breakdown to have. I’m sure as hell not doing it here,_ she thought to herself. 

They made their way back to the docks in silence. Lexa didn’t try again to start a conversation and Clarke was happy to not have to deflect Lexa’s attempts. Inside her, the effort of not bursting into tears or shouting at the lifeguard was starting to give her a headache, but on the outside she remained stoic enough to put even Lexa’s stone-cold expression to shame. 

As they reached the docks, Lexa put down Clarke’s suitcase so she could prepare the boat. Clarke merely stood awkwardly on the dock, waiting for Lexa to give her the go-ahead to load up. When Lexa waved her in, Clarke carefully passed her the suitcase before following suit. She ignored the hand Lexa offered her and clambered into the boat. She briefly thought about sitting in the spacious back seat, as far from Lexa as possible, but she thought that might be a little too rude and decided to suck it up and sit next to her instead. 

Lexa backed the boat out of the bay and revved the engine, preparing to take them out into the open lagoon. As she turned, she accelerated and they started off north toward the airport. They were cruising at a normal speed and the still morning air made the ride much quieter than the trip to Vaitape. Quiet enough for Lexa to say something after all. 

“Clarke, please, I need to talk to you,” she begged, her voice raised a little to be heard over the sound of the engine. 

“What’s there to say, Lexa?” Clarke asked almost exasperatedly, having given up on avoiding the conversation. 

“I made a mistake. I made a mistake leaving you yesterday morning. I’m sorry,” the lifeguard replied, momentarily tearing her eyes away from the water to look at Clarke. 

“I thought sleeping together was the mistake,” Clarke shot at her. The apology felt so good. Lexa’s admittance that she had been wrong felt so good. But Clarke hurt too much to let it go just like that. 

“I know that’s what I said, and I’m so sorry, Clarke. I was scared,” Lexa confessed before continuing, her eyes now back on the water. _At least we won’t crash while we verbally tear each others’ hearts out_ , Clarke thought. “—It scared me how much I cared about you. I don’t— I’m not—Caring for people scares me because what if they leave. Like Costia left. Or you. I didn't want to care for you if our time together had an expiration date.” 

“I tried to tell you Lexa. You don’t control your feelings!” Clarke cried. 

“I know, I get that now. I wanted to believe that I could just shut it all away but I can’t. With everyone else, maybe. But not with you.” 

Hearing Lexa’s words, Clarke didn’t want to entertain a hope. But she couldn’t help the way her heart was pounding, each beat like a chant of ‘please’, ‘please’, ‘please’ coursing through her body. _Please don’t do this to me_ , her mind was saying. _Please stay with me,_ her heart was hoping. 

“That’s great, Lexa, that really is. So you care about me. But you fucking broke my heart, and now you’re driving me to the airport and, as you so eloquently put it, ‘this is over the moment I step on that plane’,” Clarke pointed out. 

She wasn’t about to accept that Lexa cared about her. Not when it was easier to take the bitterness of rejection and pour it into tears and then bury it away once she was back in Seattle. If Lexa cared for her then that meant newfound hope, shattered by the reality that Clarke would not see her for months, maybe years. _It’s too late now, that’s why_ , she thought. If Lexa had told her this yesterday, the difference would’ve been time to prepare. Time to say goodbye and make promises about the future. Now, all they had were last minute confessions and too little time. 

Lexa was silent for a few moments, and Clarke could see the airport’s dock approaching. 

“What if I said it didn’t have to be over?” Lexa asked suddenly. Clarke didn’t think she’d heard her correctly. 

“What do you mean?” 

“If we had more time, would you give me a second chance?” Lexa asked, her face turned to Clarke’s now, desperately searching for some kind of answer. 

“I— maybe, but I can’t miss this flight Lexa,” Clarke answered. They were almost at the dock. 

“You don’t have to. Look, I didn’t want to say anything because I wasn’t sure if you would even talk to me after the way I treated you but… I’m going home, to the States. I’m visiting my uncle and cousin and I leave tomorrow.” 

Clarke paused to think for a moment at what Lexa was suggesting, before she asked, “How does that help, exactly?” trying to keep the sarcasm out of her voice. “So we’re no longer an ocean apart. The States is a whole country Lexa, and I don’t see how—“ 

“They live in Portland.” 

Clarke’s eyes widened. “3 hours away from Seattle… Lexa…” 

“I know,” Lexa replied. “That’s why I’m asking. Because if you are willing to give me another chance, to give this a chance, three hours is as good as living in the same city if it means I can see you and try to make things right.” 

Clarke didn’t know what to think. She glanced at the dock, and sure enough Lexa had managed to expertly steer the boat to nicely bump up against the wood while she’d been pleading with Clarke. However, the lifeguard didn’t move when they stopped, but was looking at Clarke instead. 

“So, what do you say?” Lexa asked, hope colouring her voice. “Because I really, really like you, Clarke. The first night at the party I thought I could write it off as just attraction but then I got to know you. You make me laugh and smile and I am happier with you than I’ve ever been in the past five years.” 

“Lexa—I—” Clarke stuttered. Her mind was reeling and she wasn't sure if any of it was actually real. It felt too good to be true. Until she glanced at the clock on the dash of the boat. 6:20am. “Shit, Lexa, I have to go!” she cried. 

Lexa looked at the time as well and nodded, hurriedly tying off the boat and retrieving Clarke’s suitcase while Clarke ungracefully climbed onto the dock. As Lexa came onto the dock, Clarke reached for her suitcase but Lexa just shook her head and said, “I’ll meet you in there, go get checked in!” 

Clarke nodded and dashed into the airport, looking for the nearest check-in counter and scrummaging around for her passport in her bag. 

“Hi, I’m checking in for the 7am flight to Los Angeles. I’m so sorry I’m late,” Clarke rushed out, as she laid her passport onto the counter and looked pleadingly at the middle aged woman at the desk. 

“That’s alright love, we aren’t too busy this morning,” the kindly attendant replied, taking Clarke’s passport. “Are you checking any bags today?” 

“Yes, it’s just—“ she looked around frantically, only to see Lexa coming up behind her “—right there.” 

“Perfect,” the attendant replied before taking the bag from Lexa and proceeding to print off its tags and Clarke’s ticket. 

The momentary panic aside, Clarke tried to wrap her head around what Lexa was offering. _I could see her again, in a few days. Maybe we could go out for dinner and see a movie or, or…_ She knew she was getting ahead herself, but the thought of seeing Lexa again, of being with her, was intoxicating. 

“Just so you know, ma’am,” the attendant added, “your flight will be boarding very shortly.” 

“Thank you,” Clarke replied gratefully before turning to Lexa. 

“Let’s get you to the gate,” Lexa offered. 

“It’s a pretty small airport, I think I can manage. Security is just over there,” Clarke pointed in a vague direction, “and I can literally see my gate from here.” 

“Okay,” Lexa conceded, before looking at Clarke meaningfully. “Clarke, what do you think about my offer? Because I really mean it. I very much want to give this a shot.” 

Clarke was silent for a few moments. _Is it bad that I want this?_ she asked herself, but no answer came. _Will this actually work out?_ Still, no answer. _Okay, but is it worth it to try?_ She had an answer to that one. 

“How do I find you?” 

Lexa raised her eyebrows in surprise. Maybe she hadn’t dared to believe Clarke would actually say yes. She recovered quickly, however, and pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket. She grabbed a pen from the counter and began to scribble hurriedly. When she was done, she held the paper out to Clarke. 

“This is the phone number for my uncle’s place in Portland. Call in two days. I’ll be there,” Lexa instructed as Clarke took the paper from her. 

Just then, they heard a crackling over the speaker system and a voice announced that “the 7:00am flight to Los Angeles will begin boarding now”. 

“Shit,” Clarke swore as she tucked the paper into her wallet. “That’s me.” 

“Right,” Lexa nodded. “Well, I guess I’ll see you around maybe?” 

“If you’re serious about coming to the States, about being in Portland, and wanting to try this for real, then yes you will see me around,” Clarke replied. 

“I-“ Lexa started, before taking a step towards Clarke and making to pull Clarke to her. Clarke saw it coming, however, and pulled back. 

“No. I’m sorry Lexa, but this isn’t going to be fixed with a romantic goodbye kiss at the airport. We’ll talk in a few days time, after we’ve both had time to think things over.” 

Lexa nodded solemnly before adding, “That’s fair.” 

Clarke took a long look at Lexa one last time. _No, not the last time_ , she corrected herself. 

“This is the final boarding call for the 7:00am flight to Los Angeles.” 

“Shit, okay. Okay. Goodbye Lexa, I’ll call you!” Clarke shouted as she began to dash to her gate. 

“May we meet again, Clarke!” Lexa called out after her. 

_We will_ , Clarke promised. With that, she turned and made for security. There was no one in line and she passed through quickly enough, getting on the flight in the nick of time and collapsing into her seat. 

She wanted to think about what had just happened. About everything Lexa had said and if this was a good idea or not. But instead her body took over and her eyelids fluttered shut not long after take-off. She slept dreamlessly and deeply, her hands clutching her wallet with Lexa’s phone number inside. 

______ 

_“Call in two days. I’ll be there.”_

Clarke eyed the phone nervously. She was sitting in her apartment, phone in one hand and glass of wine in the other. For about the 5th time, she dialled the first six numbers before cancelling the call. 

_Just do it, for fuck’s sake,_ she cursed. She knew she was nervous about talking to Lexa, but part of her was also afraid that Lexa wouldn’t be there. That it was all going to end in tragedy. 

_You won’t know until you call._

She shakily dialled the number and held the phone to her ear. The call connected and the ringing started. Never before had a phone call been so nerve-racking. 

On the fourth ring she debated hanging up. It was obvious that no one was going to pick up. But she didn’t, and the ringing continued. 

By the seventh ring Clarke felt despair begin to seep in. _Just hang up. This was a waste of ti—_

“Hello?” 

It was a man’s voice, deep and powerful. It surprised Clarke, and she had to suppress a squeak that threatened to escape her lips. 

“Hi, I’m calling for Lexa?” Clarke told the man, although it sounded like a question. Maybe it was the wrong number. Maybe Lexa had never gone home. Her uncertainties were gnawing away at her. 

“Ah, of course. Hold on one moment,” the man replied, and Clarke heard a muffled “Alexandria, phone!” 

_Alexandria?_ Clarke had time to think, before a familiar voice came through the line, breathless and hopeful. 

“Clarke?”


	12. Epilogue - 3 months later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After uncertainties, exams, and job offers, Lexa and Clarke are finally able to settle in to the relationship they almost never had. A few months in, they book a return trip to Bora Bora.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BE WARNED. MADE FROM 100% CONCENTRATED FLUFF.

The ever-present hum of the airplane’s engines had finally managed to lull Lexa asleep. Her head drooped and her neck strained with its weight. Somewhere in her unconscious mind it was recognized as an uncomfortable position and her body shifted until her head lolled to the side, resting on her fellow passenger’s shoulder. This could’ve been a very awkward situation had that passenger not been Lexa’s girlfriend. 

Clarke grinned at Lexa’s sleeping form, the way her head rested against Clarke’s shoulder and her hand was still gripping Clarke’s. They were five hours into their eight hour flight to Bora Bora, and while Lexa slept next to her, Clarke took a few moments to think about how they’d gotten here. 

Several months ago they’d had a rocky start in Seattle. They’d hashed out their feelings and mistakes and insecurities, until Clarke had agreed to go back to Portland with Lexa. What was going to be a two-night stay had turned into three nights which turned into five. By the end of it they’d managed to make a decision: just be friends. They wanted to get to know each other better before jumping into anything, especially with their time together so limited. 

Well, that plan lasted all of one week, until the following weekend when Lexa had visited Clarke in Seattle. Clarke had made dinner and they were sitting at the table, talking like old friends might, when they both reached for the jug of water at the same time, their hands resting one on top of the other. It was terribly cliché and they knew it, but somehow that was forgotten when Clarke leaned forward to kiss Lexa softly. Soft kisses became hungry and they moved from the table to the bed, shedding clothing along the way. The next morning they decided being friends wasn’t enough. 

That being said, they weren’t immediately labelling themselves as girlfriends either. Clarke was hesitant to define it. They knew Lexa wouldn’t be staying in Portland for long. She’d return to Bora Bora in less than a week and Clarke didn’t want to do a long-distance relationship, especially one where she couldn’t even drive to see the lifeguard on weekends. With that in mind, they entered the ambiguous ‘limbo’ stage that was between friends and romance. 

Lexa was the one to take things further and officially ask Clarke out. It happened by accident one night in Seattle when the two were at a bar. Midway through the night a man had approached them, obviously drunk, and proceeded to suggest they go home with him and his friend. Clarke politely declined but the man insisted, until Lexa stood up, all menacing 5 feet 7 inches of her, and told the man to “get out of my girlfriend’s face” before she punched him in the solar plexus. Sure enough, that did the trick, and when she sat down Clarke was looking at her with wide eyes. 

“What? He deserved it,” Lexa had defended. 

“No, not that. That was badass. No… you called me your girlfriend…,”Clarke had replied. 

“Oh,” Lexa blushed immediately. “Slip of the tongue, I’m sorry—“ 

“It’s alright!” Clarke was quick to assure her. Too quick, and Lexa picked up on her eagerness easily. 

“Would you… would you like to be my girlfriend?” 

“Officially, you mean?” Clarke had clarified, “And not just someone to sleep with?” 

“You’ve never been ‘just’ that to me,” Lexa had told her. 

Despite that they’d decided to be together, it didn’t change the fact that Lexa would be returning to Bora Bora in a few days time. They made assurances that this would be different, that this time they’d talked about everything and been prepared for this and it would be hard but it was doable. The lucky break that made everything infinitely easier came when Lexa had received a letter in the mail from a professor at the University of Washington, the university she been attending the year of Costia’s death and also the school at which Clarke was currently enrolled. 

Lexa claimed to have never met the professor before, but he was teaching in the department that she had been majoring in (political science), and was looking for a TA. He had been referred to look up Lexa’s transcript and records from a colleague, and was thrilled to discover that she met all the requirements and then some. That being said, he was aware of the circumstances under which Lexa had dropped out, and would understand if Lexa was not yet ready to return to school. In the letter he included his email address and encouraged Lexa to let him know either way. After multiple lengthy conversations with Clarke, her Uncle Gustus, and her cousin Anya, Lexa decided to take the position and emailed the professor the following day. She told him that she wouldn't be able to start for another few weeks at least as she had to arrange affairs with her current job. He wrote back saying that she didn’t have to start until the next semester. With that settled, Lexa had emailed Indra in Bora Bora to let her know what was happening. Indra had been displeased with Lexa at first for not giving her more notice, but she understood that the opportunity has arisen out of nowhere, and in fact, didn’t seem in the least bit surprised about Lexa’s new position at all. 

With all of that settled, Lexa and Clarke could begin to have the normal relationship that they wanted. They saw each other frequently, and since Lexa was technically unemployed and not in school, she often spent days at a time in Seattle. Likewise, Clarke would spend weekends in Portland with Lexa and her family, until it became an oddity if ever Clarke wasn’t present for dinner on a Friday night. 

That being said, the whole reason Clarke had gone to Bora Bora was to escape, and now that she was back, reality had caught up with her. The first few weeks of being home were made hard by the amount of schoolwork she had to catch up on. Lexa helped where she could, mostly by cooking meals while Clarke studied or giving back massages when the kinks in her muscles ached after sitting at her desk for too long. After those gruelling weeks passed, things got easier, and Clarke and Lexa began to plan a return trip to Bora Bora during which Lexa could gather all of her belongings still there and say goodbye to all of her coworkers. 

In the end they weren’t able to fly our for a month and a half, but that time gave them the opportunity to plan for the future. They decided that they wouldn’t move in together given the short time they’d been dating, but Lexa would be moving to Seattle given she’d have to be at the university full-time next semester. 

It also gave Clarke time to get the last of her belongings from Finn’s apartment. She had kept his number for that sole purpose, and had arranged to pick up her things one Thursday afternoon when he assured her he wouldn’t be home. He stayed true to his word and kept out of Clarke’s way, instead leaving a key under the mat for her to let herself in. She quickly gathered her things, which were really only a few books and her favourite chair (which she enlisted Lexa’s help in moving) and with that she left without a second look. She deleted Finn’s number out of her phone immediately thereafter. It felt like freedom all over again. 

Soon enough, their departure date for Bora Bora had arrived, and the day was spent bustling around airports, waiting in security lines, and eating less than filling airplane food as they flew from Seattle to LA to Tahiti. Once in Tahiti, they connected onto a small plane that seated only 20 people, before it flew them over the various islands that made up French Polynesia. Bora Bora was the second island the plane stopped on, and with that Lexa and Clarke disembarked with sighs of relief that their travelling was almost over. 

Walking from the runway to the terminal was almost as surreal for Clarke as it had been the first time. She was able to appreciate things she hadn’t noticed the previous time she’d landed. Their flight had arrived in the early morning, and the black tarmac wasn’t yet hot enough to burn through their shoes. Instead of making a beeline for the doors, Clarke took a second to look around at the palm trees surrounding the airport and listen to the faint sounds of the ocean. _Didn’t think I’d be back here so soon_ , she thought, but she definitely wasn’t complaining. 

They meandered through the gate into the arrivals area, and Lexa began to look for their bags while Clarke kept an eye out for Octavia. The girl was supposed to be picking them up, as she usually did with the new arrivals, and even though it had only been a few months, Clarke was looking forward to seeing her friend again. She scanned the airport eagerly, searching for Octavia. Unbeknownst to Clarke, the other girl had seen Clarke arrive first and was sneaking up behind her. 

“Clarkey!” Octavia cried, wrapping her arms around Clarke’s torso from behind her, enveloping her in a tight embrace. 

“Octavia, you scared me!” Clarke replied, but any annoyance she might’ve felt faded away instantly, replaced with joy at seeing Octavia again. She turned around in her friend’s arms, not breaking their hug, and wrapped her own arms around Octavia with equal fervour. 

They stood like that a few moments, until Lexa walked up next to them with their bags and chuckled, “Hey, it’s only been a few months you know.” 

“Lexa!” Octavia shouted, abandoning Clarke’s embrace and, to Lexa and Clarke’s surprise, threw her arms around Lexa’s neck. 

“Um, hi?” Lexa managed, stumbling back a bit under the combined weight of the bags in her hand and Octavia clinging to her neck. 

Octavia released Lexa from her grasp and took a few steps back, beaming at the two of them. 

“It’s so nice to see you two again, all lovey-dovey and stuff,” Octavia teased. “Only this time you don’t have to make total asses out of yourselves about it.” 

Lexa and Clarke both rolled their eyes. 

“It’s nice to see you too, O,” Clarke replied sarcastically. 

They made their way from the airport to the docks, and Clarke climbed into the familiar boat after Lexa, while Octavia chatted away about the going-ons of the island in the past few months. She told them about a few rowdy trips to the Mountain Man’s, and several failed attempts at getting Lincoln to fire dance for her. At the mention of Lincoln, Octavia launched into a lengthy summary of their relationship since Clarke and Lexa had left, failing to leave out the more… personal details, much to Lexa and Clarke’s discomfort. 

As Octavia sped the boat back towards their resort, Clarke took in as much of her surroundings as she could. The feeling of utter bliss she’d come to associate with Bora Bora was returning in full force, and her senses were taking in all they could. She listened to Octavia’s ramblings and the boat soaring across the water. She smelt the salt water and clean air. The humidity was heavy in her skin, but not unwelcome, and Lexa’s thigh was pressed against hers, skin warm and inviting. She looked around once more, at the beautiful island, the blue water, the billowing hair of her friend in the driver’s seat, and to the gorgeous woman seated next to her. _How did I get so lucky?_

Once they arrived at the resort, they disembarked to find Lincoln and, to everyone’s surprise, Indra, the resort’s owner, waiting for them on the docks. 

“I hope she isn’t here to publicly chastise me for leaving,” Lexa muttered under her breath as she helped Clarke out of the boat. 

“Debbie Downer, remember?” Clarke teased, reminding Lexa that she had a tendency to be a little pessimistic. Although the lifeguard would always shrug and reply ‘I’m a realist, Clarke.’ “Maybe she’s just here to see you off?” Clarke offered. 

“Then she could’ve come on the day we leave,” Lexa retorted, not unkindly. 

Clarke shrugged and leaned up to softly kiss Lexa instead. The lifeguard responded immediately, her lips hungrily reacting to Clarke’s, trying to deepen their kiss. 

“Whoa now,” Clarke said, pulling back, “Maybe we should wait until somewhere a little less… public?” 

“What, like that stopped you in that nightclub two weeks ago,” Lexa teased in return. 

Clarke gave her a playful slap on the shoulder. “Yeah, well, your almost-mother wasn’t in the nightclub with us then, was she?” 

Lexa smirked and planted a kiss on Clarke’s cheek, at which Octavia, who hadn’t witnessed the previous scene, began to make retching noises behind them. 

“Get a room!” she hollered, and Clarke felt herself begin to blush. _Still the same little shit as always,_ Clarke thought to herself, grinning. 

Bags in tow, Clarke and Lexa made their way up the dock towards Indra and Lincoln. Octavia was nowhere near as patient, however, and sprinted past them, launching herself into Lincoln’s open arms. 

“I’m glad to see they’re still going strong,” Clarke smiled, watching Octavia and Lincoln spin around, the big man holding Octavia off the ground while she latched her arms around his neck. 

“They’ve only been apart, what, half an hour?” Lexa commented. “We aren’t that gross, are we?” 

Clarke smirked at her girlfriend knowingly. “How about that time you won me that jumbo teddy bear at the carnival and you insisted on telling anyone who pointed at it that you won it for me?” 

“Psh, that was totally different,” Lexa claimed, “I was asserting my dominance, and also bragging. No romantic intentions whatsoever.” But even as she said it, a blush crept up the lifeguard’s cheeks and she fought to hold back a smile. 

_She wants to appear all tough, that’s fine, but I know I’m dating someone even softer than that giant teddy bear_ , Clarke mused. 

Just as they reached Indra, Lincoln and Octavia stopped their ridiculous spinning. They kissed sweetly before looking expectantly at Indra. 

“Welcome back, Lexa,” the short, dark-skinned woman greeted in a polite tone. 

“Hello, Indra,” Lexa responded respectfully. 

“And you must be Clarke.” Indra had turned her attention to Clarke, to Lexa’s surprise, instead of making any further comments about Lexa’s departure. 

“That’s me,” Clarke replied brightly, trying to keep her tone light and friendly, instead of revealing how nervous she was. Indra was intimidating to say the least, and Clarke wondered if that’s where Lexa got it from. 

The older woman made no further comment, but simply looked Clarke up and down, and, once satisfied with her appraisal of Clarke, she gazed at the girls’ intertwined hands. It was at this point that Indra’s lips curved into a knowing smile. 

“I see your plan worked after all,” she said, turning to Lincoln and Octavia. 

“It honestly didn’t take much,” Octavia boasted, “They just needed some alone time to realize how ridiculous they were being. It was just a little dicey because of time constraints but other than that it was obviously going to be a succ—“ 

“Wait, what?” Clarke interrupted and the same time Lexa added, “Excuse me?” 

Octavia’s grin widened as she waved her hand dismissively. “Oh nothing, just a little favour we did in return for your wonderful matchmaking with Lincoln and I.” 

“So you—“ 

“That morning in the café—“ 

“And ‘ _something came up'_ ” 

“You little shit!” Clarke shouted, as they pieced it all together. 

Octavia and Lincoln burst out laughing, while Lexa spluttered intelligibly about ‘getting played’ and ‘payback’ while Indra watched the scene with growing amusement. 

“Come on, Clarke, it was only fair after your setup with Octavia and I,” Lincoln put in. “I’ll admit, we weren’t quite as creative as you with burying people in sand and cheesy pickup lines, but it worked.” 

“I seem to remember being tossed into the bay for the wonderful favour I did for you,” Lexa suddenly spoke up, having recovered from her shock, “So it’s only fair you incur some kind of payback, no matter how thankful I am that your plan worked.” 

Clarke nodded enthusiastically and opened her mouth to suggest a possible form of revenge, but Indra cleared her throat, silencing them all. 

“While I am greatly enjoying this ludicrous reunion, there are matters the require my attention elsewhere, therefore I’d like to get to why I am here.” 

Lexa stood up a little straighter, preparing for the scolding that was sure to come. 

“Lexa,” Indra spoke solemnly, “You have been in my care for five years, and in that time I have seen you grow from a haunted, angry girl into a strong, confident young woman. You have constantly impressed me with maturity beyond your years and impeccable work ethic. It is selfish of me, I know, but I had hoped you may remain here long enough for me to pass the ownership of this resort to you—“ Lexa gaped at Indra’s confession, but didn’t interrupt “—but I knew that it wasn’t to be. You came to me scared and hurting, but you are leaving with a happiness about you that I don’t think you could ever achieve here on your own.” 

“You have been like a daughter to me these past few years, and I couldn’t be more proud of you and the journey you have made. I know you have family who are delighted to have you back home in the States, but I hope you will not forget us here—“ Clarke could see the makings of tears shimmering in Lexa’s eyes, and she squeezed her girlfriend’s hand comfortingly “—You will always be welcome here, and Clarke as well, anytime you wish to visit.” 

With that, Indra turned her attention to Clarke. “And you, Clarke. I must thank you for what you’ve done for Lexa. I have never met you, but I feel that I know you through what I have heard from Lexa, Octavia, and Lincoln. You are stubborn and strong-willed like Lexa, and while that may cause a disagreement or two down the road, I also know that you are understanding and caring, and that will serve to better the relationship you two share.” 

Clarke nodded gratefully at Indra’s words, and the older woman turned again to Lexa. “I wish you all the best of luck in this new endeavour of yours, my dear. Charles is a wonderful professor, I think you will like him very much.” 

Lexa’s lips twitched slightly, holding back a smile. “It was you, wasn’t it? You are the professor’s ‘colleague’ who referred me.” 

“Charles and I have been friends for many years,” Indra replied, smiling as if remembering a time long ago. “I thought it worth a try.” 

“Thank you so much, Indra,” Lexa said, filled with gratitude. 

“As I said, I think what you two have—“ she waved at Clarke and Lexa “—is truly special. If I can help protect it, I will,” she paused, looking at the two of them thoughtfully, before adding, “I’m afraid I must return to my duties now, however. Please, come visit before you leave the island.” 

“Of course,” Lexa replied. 

“Absolutely,” Clarke assured. 

“Wonderful. Enjoy your stay, you two. And please, try to refrain from stealing the boat after hours. It’s a minor concern for staff, but it becomes a liability issue when there are guests on board,” Indra said dismissively, before turning and striding up the dock toward the resort. 

Clarke gaped before asking, “How did she know about that?” 

“I get the feeling that Indra knows everything,” Lexa replied, only half-joking. 

“Well, now that we’ve got all the emotional speeches out of the way, how about a trip to Dante’s?” Octavia offered. “Lincoln and I have the rest of the day off so spend with you two dorks.” 

Clarke and Lexa looked at each other. They were jet lagged and tired and hungry, but they only had three days to spend on the island. _Time constraints again,_ Clarke thought ruefully. She could almost hear the same thought process occurring in Lexa’s mind as well. 

“We’d love to,” Clarke replied, and Lexa smiled, nodding in agreement. 

“Actually,” Lexa added, “I’ve thought of the perfect ‘payback’ for your little matchmaking plot.” 

“Oh, and what might that be?” Lincoln asked. 

“Fire dancing.” 

Clarke began to laugh, as Octavia gave a cry of joy and jumped into the air. 

“Finally!” she shouted. 

Lincoln groaned while Octavia dashed over to high-five a very smug looking Lexa. 

“Genius,” Clarke commented, pressing a kiss to Lexa’s cheek. 

“I learned from the best,” Lexa replied, grinning widely. 

The four of them agreed to meet back at the docks in an hour, giving Lexa and Clarke time to drop their bags in their room, shower, and change. As the two girls made their way to their room, they fell into an easy silence. Lexa was thinking of everything Indra had said to her, while Clarke began to reminisce on her last trip to Bora Bora, comparing it with her current stay. 

Her last trip had been impulsive, and emotional, and just what she’d needed at the time. She’d found paradise on a small island in the middle of the ocean, with sunny days and many a tipsy night. And when she’d left, she’d truly felt like she was leaving paradise behind. But her past three months with Lexa had made her realize something… 

As they approached their room, another hut over water, Clarke noticed it was the same as her previous stay: #21. She grinned as Lexa opened the door and dropped her bags, and Clarke followed suit. Hands empty and hearts full, they reached for each other and kissed softly, Lexa sighing into Clarke’s mouth as Clarke brought her hand to Lexa’s neck. 

“We only have an hour,” Clarke warned her, trailing her fingers down Lexa’s chest. 

“The shower is big enough for two,” Lexa replied, bringing their lips back together, more passionately this time. 

As they lost themselves to hot kisses and clutching hands, Clarke thought fleetingly to the realization she’d had on their walk to the room. She’d always associated the idea of paradise with a place. Sandy beaches and sunny weather. And Bora Bora had offered just that when she’d needed an escape from everything else. But after spending three months with Lexa, falling asleep in her arms and waking up to her smile, she began to think that maybe paradise could be more than just a place. Maybe it could be a person. The right person could make you feel all the same things that a tropical vacation could, and more. The right person could make you feel blissful, and happy, and like everything was right in the world. It was the feeling she’d been missing with Finn, with med school, with life in general before Lexa. And sure, a person could also make you angry, and sad, and frustrated, but it was all a part of being in a relationship. 

Being with the right person could be analogous to being in paradise. And as they fell together onto the bed, shower forgotten, plans with Lincoln and Octavia forgotten, Clarke knew she’d never have to leave paradise again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End :)
> 
> Thank you to everyone who's been reading Sweet & Sunny, and thank you to all those who've left comments and kudos. It makes the writing so much more rewarding to know people are enjoying the work.
> 
> Thanks again for reading and for all the patience

**Author's Note:**

> drank-in-lurve on tumblr if you wanna say hi!


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